


Digitale

by green_spear_of_causality88



Series: The Multiverse Is A Wide And Lonely Place [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Digitale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Dreamtale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Inktale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underfresh (Undertale), But I'll add the Bad Sanses and the Star Sanses later, Choose Your Own Adventure, Did I say Moving On I meant Moving Forward, Gender-Neutral Frisk (Undertale), I can't wait to show you what will happen on this journey!, I'll be asking questions at the end of each chapter and your votes change the outcome, Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader has a blue SOUL, Reader is Frisk (Undertale), That will make sense later on, This ties with Orderly Chaos and Moving On, Welcome to my project!, as of chapter 1 you're in safe hands, of course it's gn reader what am i a heathen, the game references just don't stop coming, which is important, you are frisk and this is a whole new world to explore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28538130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_spear_of_causality88/pseuds/green_spear_of_causality88
Summary: Digitale. A universe where monsters who were forced Underground turned to GAMES to escape their reality, the different types ranging wildly. One monster can have Frogger; another can have Fire Emblem; another can have Resident Evil. Each GAME is unique to each monster, gifted to them by the CORE.You fall into Mt. Ebott, not expecting to end up in a world of every kid's dream...but like a flower wilting, it's only a matter of time before the real world catches up.You need to remind them of the truth. Above all else, they must not forget their INTEGRITY."Can you SAVE someone who doesn't want to be SAVED?"*A Choose Your Own Adventure Story, where you choose your answers at the end of each chapter and the story comes to light. What will you do to see the end?
Series: The Multiverse Is A Wide And Lonely Place [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081001
Comments: 14
Kudos: 24





	1. Welcome to Digitale

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, the long-awaited project! This is Digitale, my Undertale AU! This one will be an interactive story, where your choices matter!
> 
> I hope you enjoy, and I can't wait to go on this journey with you all!

_“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”_

_“...”_

_“I’m sorry, that...wasn’t very uplifting, was it?”_

_“...”_

_“Honestly...it’s not the end of the world. I’m still going to be with you, like always. I’m not leaving.”_

_“...”_

_“Well, then. If you’re going to be like this, then I want you to promise me something.”_

* * *

_Have you heard the story of humans and monsters?_

Grass disappears underneath the soles of small hiking boots, coming up bent and squashed once the pressure alleviates. It’s a beautiful day outside: the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and sunlight kisses the surface of all it reaches.

_A long time ago, there was a war between the two races. In the end, the humans won; they sealed the monsters away, underneath Mt. Ebott._

A repetitive _clink_ is heard as the keychain on the child’s backpack hits a pocket, bobbing with the movement. The child pays it no mind, set on their destination:

The top of the mountain.

_...Though, that’s just superstition. It’s not like monsters exist, right? And besides, anyone who climbs Mt. Ebott…_

It takes nearly half an hour, but they make it. They peer down at the hole, kicking a stray pebble into it. The pebble bounces off the side of the mountain a few times before disappearing out of sight, the sound growing fainter before stopping completely.

There’s no sound of the pebble hitting the bottom.

The child takes a step back, then another, and suddenly they’re running forward, towards the bottomless pit. They take a leap-

-straight into the mountain’s gaping maw.

_...Goes there to die._

* * *

Waking up on a bed of flowers is not what you expected when you jumped into Mt. Ebott.

You come to slowly, blinking the last vestiges of sleep from your eyes as they sit up. The patch of flowers you fell on is lit up by the overhead sun, light streaming through the opening far above their head. You raise your head a bit and blink a few more times. Looking closer, you can tell that they’re some type of rare flower, if the vibrant blue hue they give off is any indication. _Chrysanthemums,_ your mind supplies helpfully. _Mum would buy them all the time when she-_

A sudden spike of pain leads you to bury your face farther into the flowers, a frown on your lips. Why couldn’t you remember anything farther than that? Had the fall messed with your memories?

What is your name?

**_{ERROR_6734: SAVE File Not Found. Downloading New SAVE File…}_ **

**_{SAVE File Complete!}_ **

_*Your_ **_NAME_ ** _is Frisk._

You give a quiet hum, your voice cracking. It’s obvious you haven’t used it in quite a while, since you wince immediately after. The name Frisk sounds familiar, welcome even, so it must be yours. Your chest feels a bit lighter after that and you smile, happy that you’ve at least gotten somewhere.

Speaking of “getting somewhere”...you take a quick look at your surroundings. All around you is an area you can’t quite make out, since your eyes haven’t adjusted enough to see through the darkness. You hear the echo of something dripping to the ground in the distance, though, so it might be a cave system.

_Where am I?_

A completely normal question for one in a situation like this. You push up onto your elbows, then to the plank position, and eventually get to your feet with a small groan. Your backpack slouches to the side into your peripheral, the cyan color taking on a subtle glow in the sunlight. Where exactly is “here”, now that you think about it? The afterlife? You still feel as much as you did before, so you doubt it.

Your mind flashes to when you jumped into Mt. Ebott, a dull ache forming in protest. _More importantly, if this isn’t the afterlife...how did you survive?_

“Golly, that was quite the fall!”

You snap towards the source of sound, eyes widening when you see nothing. You...didn’t imagine that, did you?

“Hey, _rude!_ I’m down here, pipsqueak!” The voice sounds closer this time, if not a bit irritated. You look down as requested, your mind blanking at what you see.

Near your feet is a talking flower, their face brightening once you make eye contact. Their cerulean-colored petals shake as they sway back and forth, likely as a means of waving at you.

“Howdy! I’m Flowey, Flowey the Flower!”

Well...they _seem_ nice enough. It can’t hurt to be nice back, right?

_*You smile and wave back, albeit cautiously._

Something feels off about the flower, and whether it’s from the tone of their voice or the fact that _they’re a talking flower,_ you won’t know until you speak more with them; you just can’t put your finger on it at the moment. 

“You-...You’re a human!” The flower gasps. You tilt your head to the side, patting yourself in confusion. Yes, you’re human...why does it matter? “You must be awfully lost and confused, considering what this place is. Here, let me show you!”

Your surroundings flash to black and white, eyebrows raising in shock as something is pulled from your chest. There in the box underneath Flowey’s bouncing form is a floating heart, its cobalt color bringing you a sense of peace.

_Is this-?_

“Wow, you sure catch on quick!” Flowey’s voice interrupts your thoughts, their beady eyes following the heart as you make it bob every which way and that, testing out your surroundings. Their face looks a bit confused, but you chalk it up to surprise at seeing you so carefree. “This is an ENCOUNTER, where monsters TALK to each other using their SOULS. That’s right, SOULS! See that floating heart you’re moving? That one’s all yours!”

You smile. Your SOUL is so beautiful, casting a small glow that reminds you of the night sky back on the surface. You almost can’t believe it belongs to you.

_*You thank Flowey for showing you your SOUL._

An unreadable expression flits across their face before they smile wide. You resist the urge to take a step back out of instinct. “Anytime, friend! Now let me show you what to do when you’re in an ENCOUNTER.

“When you meet monsters, you have to ACT. See that button right there? Yep, press it!”

You do. A MENU opens up, giving you four options.

*Check *Talk

*Dance *Wave

_*You relay your options to Flowey._

“Press the check!”

***Check** *Talk

*Dance *Wave

**NAME: Flowey the Flower**

**LV:** ???

**ATK:** 50

**DF:** 50

_*Your reliable friend who is showing you the ropes. Take it easy and relax! He’s got this!_

_So Flowey is a dude. Gotcha._ You smile, feeling a bit giddy. This is pretty fun! It reminds you of those video games you used to play at home.

You watch as it becomes Flowey’s turn. He continues to bob up and down in a rhythmic manner, the smile never leaving his face.

“Now, us monsters have a turn once you’re done! If you can’t SPARE them immediately, they’ll pull you into their GAME.”

_\- Game?_

You go to ask Flowey what he means by that, but before you can say anything your surroundings go dark.

_*You call out to Flowey._

“I’m still here, friend!”

You see multiple peach-colored orbs appear out of midair around your soul. They almost seem to form a cage around it, extending far off to the edge of the box. _What is this?_ You whip your head left and right, trying to find any sign of Flowey. You give a sigh of relief when he appears from the darkness, his face illuminated by the color of your SOUL.

“Don’t worry about those, silly!” He giggles. “They’re just friendliness pellets. Go on; touch one.”

Something sinister crawls down your spine as he speaks.

_*You tell him that you are too scared to follow through with it._

“Aw, come on! Just one touch won’t hurt.”

_*You refuse._

“Look, _friend,_ ” he says through gritted teeth, the smile waning ever so slightly, “I won’t hurt you. You trust your good friend Flowey, don’t you? Just. _Touch._ One.”

_*You extend a hesitant hand out, brushing against one of the pellets._

_*..._

_*Your SOUL trembles as you take damage._

**“You absolute idiot.”**

Flowey begins to cackle, the sound making you flinch. His friendly smile is gone, in its place a twisted grin. “I can’t believe you FELL for that! Down here in the Underground, the second a monster pulls you into their GAME you lose! It’s KILL or BE KILLED!!”

His laugh borders on maniac as numerous shapes shoot out from the darkness, tracing the path of the pellets towards your SOUL. You take an involuntary step back, watching with muted horror as the shapes stop just shy of your SOUL. You have a feeling that if you don’t make it out of this one, You’ll die.

_*- But there is nowhere to go. You are alone._

“Sayonara, “friend”!” Flowey chuckles sweetly, his eyes widening with glee as he sets his sights on his prey. You close your eyes and turn away, your body trembling. Is this how you imagined you would die? No, but the universe works in strange ways. Even though you see no way out you’re desperate; you want to live, you want to explore-

-yet you see no outcome in which that happens.

_*..._

_*You prepare to DIE._

“-Ghk!”

Suddenly the flower goes flying, knocked from the ground by a fireball. A...goat monster appears from the right side of the ENCOUNTER, a worry and concern present on her (at least, you’re pretty sure she’s a woman) face.

“Oh heavens child, are you alright?!”

You blink as your surroundings bleed back into color, your trembling subsiding in favor of confusion. The quiet, softer-pitched voice seeps nothing but warmth, and for a second you almost let your guard down-

_\- but that’s how Flowey took advantage of you._

You back away and shake your head. Instead of giving a confused look, understanding dawns on the goat monster’s face, and she crouches to get closer to your height.

She holds out a paw. It looks fluffy and soft. “It is quite alright, child; I won’t hurt you. My name is Toriel. And you are?”

You inch a step forward, the way Flowey’s cheerful disposition bled away to reveal his true colors still fresh on your mind. He had seemed nice at first, too. Are you ready to trust that fast, so soon?

You gingerly touch her outstretched palm. It’s as fluffy and soft as it looks.

_*You tell her your_ **_NAME_ ** _is Frisk._

“Well, Frisk,” She stands again with a smile, not once letting go of your hand. She keeps a gentle grip on it, giving you room to move away if you want to. You appreciate the thought behind her actions, and a small smile forms on your face. “It’s nice to meet you. You look tired; here, let me lead you through the Ruins towards my home. Do you like sweets?”

_*Do you like sweets?_

*Yes *No

*Yes, and give a list *No, but offer an alternative

*Yes, and refuse to elaborate when prompted *No, and refuse to elaborate when prompted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -And we leave off in the hands of Toriel! There are a few questions that you need to answer, such as:
> 
> *-There is a deep chasm in front of you. You don't know how deep it goes. Going back is not an option. What will you do?  
> a) Stay at the ledge and watch  
> b) Take a leap  
> c) Wait and call for help  
> d) Wait and say nothing [Unlocks ???, who will join your party]
> 
> *Next, your actions have hurt someone deeply. How do you react?  
> a) Apologize  
> b) Say nothing  
> c) Hug them  
> d) Hurt them more  
> e) Have ??? say something [Only accessible if the previous answer chosen is d)]
> 
> *Finally, you arrive at a door. A new adventure awaits, but you had to leave something important to you behind. How do you feel?  
> a) Scared  
> b) Excited  
> c) Solemn  
> d) [REDACTED] [ERROR_7734: Incompatible with SOUL chosen.]  
> e) Choose d) anyways, because you know what it means and you want to make this a challenge
> 
> By the time this gets released, I will be creating a Tumblr! I'll come back and edit this with the proper tag. (which is @wheresleepingboneslie on Tumblr!) There you can ask questions about Orderly Chaos, Moving Forward, Digitale, or if you just want to send love towards a certain character! What type of taste do you lean towards, sweet or spicy? Sour? Or a perfect blend?
> 
> While nothing will make sense in the beginning, everything will tie together towards the middle/the end. Thank you for checking this out, and until next time!


	2. Snail Lessons, New Encounters, and The Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet someone new. Toriel bakes you a pie. You learn a few things about the two monsters you're with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A trigger warning for a panic attack the reader has, even if it's a small one near the middle of the chapter! It begins with "You don't know how to react to the harsh words" and ends at "his grin falters".
> 
> Come check out my tumblr, https://wheresleepingboneslie.tumblr.com/ , where you can ask questions and see previews of future chapters!
> 
> I'm sorry for the wait on this one! It took me a while to figure out the flow of this, not to mention I had forgotten to ask a few more questions. Without further ado, here's Chapter 2 of Digitale!

_*Do you like sweets?_

*Yes *No

 ***Yes, and give a list** *No, but offer an alternative

*Yes, and refuse to elaborate when prompted *No, and refuse to elaborate when prompted

_*You say yes, and tell Toriel what your favorite sweets are._

A smile spreads across her face, and you instantly smile back. For some reason, seeing her happy fills you with hope and a sense of relief. “I see. Thank you, child; I will keep it in mind. For now, I will lead you through the Ruins.”

Her smile falls into a troubled look, and you give her hand a gentle squeeze. You may have just met her, but you don’t want to see her upset.

_*You ask Toriel about ACTing and FIGHTing._

“To ACT is to avoid FIGHTing.” She starts, her voice strained. You look up at her with worry shining in your eyes. Did you-...ask the wrong question? “In a way, ACTing is showing MERCY; it’s what one does when they wish to do no harm to the being before them.”

She suddenly stops. You jolt a little as you walk into her legs, stepping back and lowering your head in apology. This time it’s her who gives your hand a small squeeze, the corners of her mouth tilting upwards for a moment. 

“My child, there is nothing to fear from the monsters in these ruins. If you are ever pulled into an ENCOUNTER, please...remember that they are just scared. They truly wish to do no harm. I ask you to SPARE them.”

You think back to Flowey, and the way his grin twisted as it stretched across his face. He seems to be everything _save_ for harmless, and you freeze as you remember when he pulled you into his GAME. 

How everything went dark. How the only source of light was from his “friendliness pellets”, which caged your SOUL in.

How something slithered in the dark, drawing closer, closer, _closer-_

“Child?”

You blink, shaking yourself out of your thoughts. From jumping into a mountain to having a flower nearly steal your SOUL, you aren’t sure how to act around these monsters. Some, like Toriel mentioned, are nervous and scared at your arrival; others, like Flowey, want nothing more than to harm you for their pleasure.

(Although, Flowey is currently the only one to fit into the latter category. You hope no others will fall there.)

_*You decide to ACT accordingly based on the disposition of each monster. Toriel’s words hang close to your heart, a silent promise to honor her wishes. You are filled with INTEGRITY._

“Ah!” Toriel seems to remember something, and before you know it her grasp leaves yours and she’s walking away. Your keychain lightly smacks against your backpack as you take a few steps forward, halting once she puts her hand up.

Her smile is apologetic. “I am sorry my child, but I must tidy up my place before you come in. Please wait here for me.”

Soon she ducks out of sight, and you are left alone. Do you stay and wait? Or do you go?

Although you’re curious about your new environment, Flowey’s face flashes across your mind and you shudder. He’s still around here somewhere, in these very ruins, and you have no doubt that he’ll finish the job once he sees you alone.

_*You sit down and wait for Toriel to return._

* * *

Time passes. At this point you’ve gone through the contents of your backpack nearly a dozen times: a pair of black sneakers with cyan accents that look identical to the pair you have on now, two water bottles, a brand-new piece of chalk, a comic about superheroes, a few shiny rocks, a box of band-aids, and a homemade brownie packed into a sandwich bag. It looks like you came prepared, although you don’t remember packing any of this.

At times, the wait isn’t boring; some monsters have also come across you, startling so bad that they pull you into an ENCOUNTER, but you always ACT and SPARE. Their GAMES are fun to play, too; you remember Whimsun’s, which gives you an overgrown dandelion as an umbrella as an updraft raises you high into the air. The monster was skittish, shying away from you but also making noises of concern whenever your grip on the stem slipped even just a tiny bit. You had laughed silently, easing their worries with an energetic wave, and you smiled warmly when Whimsun relaxed. 

Froggit’s GAME was less lax, but it still had the same level of fun; you had to get from Point A to Point B while avoiding all the objects that entered from one side of your peripheral and exited from the other. Some of them moved fast; your HP took a few hits, and Froggit jumped anxiously in place. You gave Froggit a thumbs up once you cleared it, showing them with careful motions as you place a band-aid on your cheek. They ribbited, hopping around you happily before placing some money on the ground and leaving. 

You felt bad, but you picked it up nonetheless. It must be their version of currency, which your mind registers to you as G. You stashed it into your backpack’s front pocket, zipping it tight and sitting back down with a small smile. Besides Flowey’s, the GAMES you’ve played so far are fun and harmless. How could you ever think to FIGHT such gentle beings like this? 

Just looking at the FIGHT button makes you feel sick.

You place everything back into your backpack with a sigh, standing up. Maybe it’s time to move on, but your heart sinks at the thought of Toriel hurrying back to where she last left you only to find you gone. She was kind enough to rescue you from Flowey, so you have faith that she’ll come back for you.

~~You don’t blame her if she wants to leave you behind.~~

So you wait.

You hear a strange sound to your left after a couple minutes, and your head turns towards the sound. Soon enough, a _POOF!_ noise occurs seconds after you turn to look, and in your view is a-...oh wow.

A couple feet away stands a skeleton wearing clothes that look like a unicorn puked on, the bright colors temporarily hurting your eyes. Their hat is turned sideways, shades hiding their eyes, and they scratch their head with a phalange.

You startle. You didn’t know what you were expecting, but it certainly wasn’t... _this._

“hm...i ain’t getting any bad vibes from dis place. Ink brah musta pulled another one o’ his pranks again.”

He turns his skull, and you see his shades flicker from HMM to UNCOOL. You blink. How did he do that? And who’s Ink?

Despite your confusion, it’s clear from their words that this monster was slighted. You feel a little bad for them, so you walk over.

_*You call out a greeting to the unknown monster._

“...!”

The monster whips towards your direction so fast that you just manage to suppress a flinch. His shades briefly switch to one word before settling on YO YO, but you could’ve sworn it said CRAP beforehand.

You stop a few feet away from the monster, a hesitant smile on your face as you raise your hand and give a small wave.

Their grin, which seems to permanently be on their face, widens as they shoot finger guns at you. “yo, little dude! wat’s up?”

They smile, but something flashes behind their shades and you freeze. For a second, you could’ve sworn that you felt _danger,_ on an even _worse_ level than Flowey’s, but it’s gone in a flash as they beam. You hum to yourself in thought. Maybe you imagined it? You decide to keep your guard up while being polite.

_*You tell them that your NAME is Frisk, and that it’s nice to meet them._

“right back atcha, little dude!” They say before correcting you on their - _his_ \- pronouns. “name’s Fresh, and while it’d be nice ta chat, i gotta get back to my broseph.”

You frown but nod. Fresh seems nice enough, and like with the other monsters you encountered you had hoped to spend a little more time with him before he left.

_*You tell him that you hope to see him around soon._

Something strange flits across his face before his grin widens. Unlike the last one, this one seems eager, more...genuine. “ya know...i just might. i haven’t heard o’ this place before, but if a rad little dude like you is here, then it’s all the more reason to come back.”

He crouches down to your level, extending a hand out for a fist bump. You smile at the offer, walking closer and bumping your own fist with his. In the few minutes you’ve talked he hasn’t hurt you once, and his weird way of talking is growing on you. You chuckle as he pulls back, wiggling his phalanges while mimicking an explosion with his voice. He would be great company to be around, and you almost ask him to stay with you as you wait for Toriel because you feel ~~scared~~ wary.

But that would be selfish. And rude. And you are neither of those things; you were raised better than that.

_~~Wait...who raised you again?~~ _

Your thoughts are broken as he stands back up, turning away and flashing a peace sign over his shoulder. “peace out, little dude!”

You beam, waving at him. The _POOF!_ cloud from before returns, and you cover your eyes. It’s weird, but you suppose that it’s his own travel method, even if it’s a bit flashy. Others are allowed to leave and appear how they want, after all. 

Nonetheless, now that he’s gone you’re more or less stuck with waiting for Toriel again. You turn around and walk back towards your spot, already dreading the counting of your items for the nth time-

“...uh.”

You whirl in place, eyes wide. Sure enough your new acquaintance stands in the exact spot he appeared from, looking at his phalanges with a faltering grin. His shades briefly flash to WTFUNK before settling on WHAT.

He looks over at you, his expression unreadable. “hey, broski...how long was i gone for?”

You go to speak on reflex, but your throat constricts painfully. When was the last time you had a drink? You’re not sure, but it can wait until you help Fresh. You take a hard swallow, opting to give him a shrug and a slight tilt to your hand.

He keeps staring at you. You get the impression he’s glaring, unimpressed for some reason. Impatient. “gonna have ta be a bit clearer, little dude.”

You take a moment to think, your brows furrowing. A light bulb turns on in your mind as you hold up three fingers, and he stares.

“uh...three minutes? hours?”

You raise a brow at him. Did he think that you’d wait here for three _hours?_ You shake your head, placing your hands parallel to each other before bringing them as close as you possibly can without touching.

“seconds.” Fresh says, dumbfounded. You nod, getting the feeling that he isn’t dumbfounded often. “three seconds.”

You note that his weird style of speech is gone as well. Due to shock, most likely. Noticing that you won’t get anywhere at this rate, you hold a finger up as a signal to wait before dropping to a knee and shouldering off your backpack. He watches, curious as you unzip it and dig around. Your face is screwed up in concentration, brightening once you pull out the bottle. You twist the cap and take a few sips, screwing it back on once you’re done and placing it back in your backpack.

_*You apologize to Fresh for the wait, and tell him that yes, he was gone for a whole three seconds._

His expression shifts to a grin, but unlike the warm one he gave before, this one sends chills down your spine. You think you see purple flash behind his shades again, but you write it off as a trick of the cavern lighting as he throws his skull back and _cackles._

“Ink bro really knows how to keep his promises!” He chortles. Your eyes widen in amazement as his shades flash to HAHA. “i always find myself in a wicked situation when stuff has his deets all over it!”

_*You tell him that while you have no idea on what is happening, you are happy that he’s happy._

Fresh’s sudden silence after you finish speaking has you flinching, disturbed by the abrupt lack of sound. Even his shades have gone silent, reflecting . . . while the grin on his face freezes.

You don’t know how long you stand there, quiet. You just know that you don’t like it. So you go to say something, only to be interrupted by your acquaintance. “yo, little dude,” he says suddenly, “mind if i hang with ya? seems i can’t get back ta my brah...or go anywhere outta here. totes uncool. but ya seem p chill, so imma crash with ya.”

His permagrin returns to normal, shades changing to WELL? as he raises a hand for a high-five.

_*FRESH wants to join your PARTY! Do you accept?_

_*Yes_ _*No_

You stare at the box of text in shock. He’s-...He wants to stay? With _you?_ Even though you just met?

~~_*When has anyone stayed for you?_ ~~

A surge of emotion comes over you as you raise a hand, pressing your choice without a second thought. You pretend that there’s no heat building up behind your eyes, not noticing how Fresh’s gaze turns quizzical.

 ** _*Yes_** _*No_

You quickly rush over to him and give him a high-five, having to jump to reach his hand. He rights you with his other as you stumble soon after, shades flashing to COOL before settling on YOLO.

“well, what’s the plan broski?”

_*You promise him that you’ll help him get home, but for now you are waiting for Toriel to return._

He hums, placing a few phalanges to his chin and rubbing it. The sight looks so comical that you snicker, trying (and failing) to school your features when Fresh gives you a knowing grin.

“guess i’ll wait with ya, then. that coolio, little dude?”

You flash him a thumbs up, and the next half an hour flies by in a flash. Fresh easily keeps the conversation going, and you learn more about his other friends, like Ink.

“got this one cool bro, right? a real stick in the mud, but he’s fun to rile up like my bro Error. i call ‘im Nightscare sometimes ‘cause he hates the name,” he snickers. “i’m s’posed to visit in a week, sent a rad letter and everythin’. with the way this is goin’, though, i don’t think i’ll make it.”

You can’t tell who you pity more: Fresh or this “Nightscare”. In the end you pat his humerus, a frown of sympathy on your face.

His brows raise for a split second at the action before his permagrin widens. “thanks for the res, brah. it’s all cool; the letter’ll keep ‘im on his toes at least.”

“My child, I hope you weren’t waiting lo- oh my.”

You don’t notice Fresh stiffen as Toriel hurries over, confusion on her face even as you wave enthusiastically. You jump to your feet, giving her a hug to reassure yourself that _no, she didn’t leave you, and she kept her promise. She kept her promise. She’s not going to leave again._

Maybe you had grown attached to her, too.

“And this is?” The goat monster asks, glancing at Fresh. She takes your hand in hers, and you beam. All the stress lines on her face seem to lessen as she looks at you, giving you a warm smile.

_*You tell Toriel that his name is Fresh, and that he’s your friend who kept you company._

Her face immediately morphs into one of relief, giving Fresh a grateful bow. He stands up, shades morphing to form WHAT. “Thank you for looking after them in my absence, and I am sorry if they caused you any trouble.”

You don’t know how you feel about Toriel apologizing on your behalf. If you messed up, then you messed up; you’d take ownership of it. So you tug on her black and cerulean accented robe, gaining both her and Fresh’s attention.

_*You say that she doesn’t have to apologize for you._

She smiles, raising a paw to gently pat your head. Your right eye closes on reflex as you chuckle, lifting a hand up to pat hers.

“Even so,” she starts, looking back over at the unusually quiet skeleton, “let me make it up to you. I have butterscotch pie cooling on the counter at my home right now. Would you like to come over and have a slice?”

Fresh’s grin falters. “no bad vibes intended dudette, but i don’t-”

You stare at Fresh. His gaze lowers to meet yours.

You stick your free hand out.

_*You tell Fresh that no friends get left behind._

He blinks at your words- or you assume he blinks, falling silent. It's hard to tell with his sunglasses in the way. His grin returns, softer.

“...righty-o, little bro. my b.”

He steps forward. You feel phalanges wrap around your free hand, gently grasping it. It’s weird to consider Fresh being anything other than vibrant and in-your-face, but it’s-...nice, to see this side of him. You don’t know why you feel relief at the sight, but you quickly shake it off. What does it matter? They’re here by your side, deciding to stick near you. Your smile widens with joy at the thought, swinging both arms merrily and getting a chuckle out of the two monsters.

All three of you walk towards Toriel’s house, thoughts turned towards the cooling treat. You and Toriel talk, missing when Fresh glances over his shoulder to stare at something behind him.

A flower burrows into the ground, leaving no further trace behind.

* * *

Toriel’s butterscotch pie, you and Fresh quickly find out, is to die for. You both eat numerous slices like it’s your last meal on the planet, Toriel halting your progress and scolding you two for making a mess. Fresh gives an unrefined snort at that, making you nearly choke on the piece of pie in your mouth as you cackle.

“You two need to be more careful, you could hurt yourselves!” She frets, frowning at you both. You manage to get your breathing under control, only for Fresh to smirk as his shades flash to WINK. You immediately have to fight to regain your breath, swallowing the rest of the food in your mouth with some difficulty.

“i don’ see a prob here, my rad bro. nothin’ ta see here.” Fresh shrugs to articulate his words, whistling and looking away as Toriel glares at him.

“Frisk almost choked due to your shenanigans, young man!”

“the name’s not “young man”, ma’am, it’s Fresh. don’ wear it out, ya dig?” Fresh says as he shoots her finger guns. You nearly fall off of your seat from laughing so hard if not for Toriel catching you. Thankfully she sets you back on the chair, shaking her head despite a fond smile growing on her face.

“Just what am I going to do with you two?”

She ends up repeating that phrase numerous times for the next five days. You would spend some of your time reading about snails next to Toriel, who had told you more than a few times that calling her mom is perfectly alright. It’s how you found out more about her, as well: she stays here of her own free will, likes eating snail pie (which is a bit strange but it’s her preference, you refuse to judge her for something she likes), has a friend outside of the Ruins who she likes to talk to, and holds an intense dislike for video games. The last one surprised you, but once you saw how her eyes flashed with a barely contained fury, you refrained from asking further. She’ll tell you on your own time, you’re sure.

The rest of your time is spent exploring the Ruins with Fresh, who would tell you about the pranks he’s pulled so far on the “Night Gang”, as he calls them. You remember nearly tripping over a rock once he mentioned offhandedly how he swapped Nightscare’s tea with pickle juice and watched as the other spat it all out...right onto Error’s unsuspecting face.

(Far removed from the universe, in a place awash with white, a skeleton sneezes from his spot on a beanbag. The TV in front of him continues to play but he glares off into the distance, muttering how “skeletons don’t even _need_ to sneeze” as he angrily munches on a chocolate bar.)

His friends sound like fun. You told him that you’d like to meet them one day, but something strange crossed his face even as he grinned and ruffled your hair.

 _one day, little bro,_ he’d said, voice sounding cheerful yet off, _one day._

His response worried you. Were you not at that level of “broship”, as he calls it? Then again you’d just met five days ago, but you were sure that Fresh gave off the vibe of someone you could be fast friends with. Unless his friends don’t like new people all that much?

You shake your head to rid yourself of the thoughts. _It doesn’t matter._ Not at the moment, anyways. Your attention shifts once you hear a _creak,_ which has you turning towards the source of the noise. You see Toriel poke her head into your temporary room, a smile blooming across her face once she spots you.

“My child, what are you doing up this late? It’s quite late. C’mon, bedtime,” she says, laughing behind a raised paw as you pout. “Fresh is already asleep. Unless you were waiting for me to read you a story?”

You eagerly nod, climbing into the bed. It smells of sweets and flowers, the latter reminding you of the ones you landed on after your tumble into the mountain. If home had to have a smell, you figure that this would be it.

You finally settle in with a smile, about to ask her to read a fable but pausing midway. Over the past few days your curiosity about the outside world has increased, her usual short and clipped answers not helping any. Fresh is just at much of a loss as you, although you suspect he sneaks out as Toriel reads to you to get more information.

It doesn’t hurt to be a _little_ curious, right?

_*You ask Toriel about the place outside the Ruins._

Her smile fades quickly, a stormy expression shadowing her face. “Frisk, I want you to listen very closely. Outside these Ruins means nothing but death for you.”

You blink. You weren’t counting on her to entertain your questions this time, so you’re caught off-guard.

_*You ask her why._

“Because while the monsters in here wish to do you no harm, those outside these walls do!” She shouts. You’re not expecting the sudden volume increase, wincing involuntarily at the noise. “Why can’t you _understand_ that, my child? I only wish the best for you; I do not want to see you tainted by the horrors out there!”

You don’t know how to react to the harsh words. You can barely move. So you sit there, powerless, as she stands up. She places the story in her hands on the nightstand: _Tale of Two Princes._

“I’m going to go and take care of something,” she says calmly. Too calmly. Your heart sinks at her words. “Frisk, be a dear and wait here, alright? You can text Fresh in the meantime, if that pile of bones is even up.”

You don’t tell her about your suspicions concerning Fresh’s nightly exploits, still too stunned by her anger. While it isn’t necessarily directed at you, you’re the one who caused it. To make matters worse, you’ve never seen her react this horribly; you’d be lying if you say it doesn’t hurt.

She walks out of the room. Like a bowstring drawn taut, you snap to attention once the door closes behind her and dive for your phone. Toriel had given it as a gift to you, one of many things she’s done save for providing you with protection and a roof over your head.

You immediately dial a number.

_*Ring...Ring…_

_“yo, whaddup broski?”_ Fresh answers on the other side of the line, his cheery tone making your tense muscles relax. _“your ma done tellin’ you epic stories? what can your pal Fresh do for ya?”_

_*You tell Fresh of Toriel’s strange reaction to your questions._

Silence. Fresh says nothing for nearly four minutes, which unnerves you. Something bad had to have happened; that’s all you can think of. You start to shake, slipping out of your bed and tugging on your shoes.

Did you say something wrong to her? Did you disappoint ~~your mom~~ Toriel?

~~_*Are you a bad child?_ ~~

_“alright, little bro, listen up.”_ Fresh’s voice comes out neutral, which doesn’t help your shaking. _“i’ll be over there ‘fore you can say “Da Freshest Poof Ta End All Poofs”, a’ight? then we can skedaddle.”_

You don’t say anything. You _can’t_ say anything. You’re too busy thinking of every bad thing you’ve done, like sneaking into Toriel’s room and finding her diary (which you then proceeded to read), and stealing one extra slice of pie without telling anyone.

_You’ve hurt her, you hurt Toriel and now she’s gone off to find a suitable punishment for you-_

A _POOF!_ appears in front of you, making you flinch. It seems Fresh had hung up just before he teleported, the skeleton pocketing his phone to see you standing a few feet away.

“ok little broseph, time to g- little bro?!”

His grin falters as he notices your trembling frame, taking a few steps towards you in shock. His shades stutter between WTF and UNCOOL, his phalanges twitching like he wants to reach out to you but is refraining.

You don’t need another cue. 

You hurry over to him, not once making a sound as you curl your hand around his own gloved one. Your free arm scrubs at your eyes, because you’re most definitely not crying right now due to your thoughts.

He doesn’t say anything about your tears, much to your relief. Instead he leads you out the door, his light tugs doing no more than to get you to walk a few steps forward. “ready to go, bro?” He asks, voice quiet. “gotta vibe on where she went.”

You nod once, giving his hand a squeeze.

_*While you are hurt and confused by Toriel’s actions, you wish to find out the truth. You will not jump to conclusions just yet._

_*You are filled with INTEGRITY._

* * *

Even though you catch up to her, it turns out Toriel does _not_ want to talk.

At least, at first. You still have hope that you can get through to her, but after diving out of the way to dodge yet _another_ fireball, you’re not sure _how_ to go about gaining her attention.

Fresh isn’t faring any better, either; while he can blip out of existence (which _holy crap he has to tell you how he does that later when you’re both trying not to die-_ ) his energy levels are quickly depleting, not used to teleporting constantly without enough time for a proper break.

You wince as another fireball shaves off 1 HP. They’re not doing much damage individually, but with the sheer amount she’s throwing out-

You shudder at the thought of what her GAME must be like.

“broski-!”

Fresh’s grin is strained at the edges as he grips your sleeve and yanks you back, narrowly avoiding a blast of magic. His shades have been stuck on CRAP for the last five minutes, unchanging. Or was it longer? It was definitely around the time Toriel started throwing fireballs, that’s for sure.

He lets go of your sleeve, and you give a small breath of relief.

_*You thank Fresh for the close save._

He chuckles. “more like a _close shave,_ little bro. you holdin’ up a’ight?”

You flash him a thumbs up, only to simultaneously push him and jump backwards seconds later. The ground where you two previously stood smoulders from the most recent fireball, two more floating in Toriel’s hands.

“Why can’t you _understand,_ my child?!” She yells over the crackling of her magic. “Those beyond the Ruins wish nothing more than to harvest your SOUL! To make matters worse, they’re working behind the scenes to do so! Most of monsterkind has deluded themselves to staying here forever, and a child like you is easily influenced!”

You glance at Fresh, who leans against a crumbling pillar to catch his breath. His permagrin has fallen, but once he notices your stare he forces it up and gives you a smile. You nod once at him, turning away with a frown.

Neither side can go on like this.

But what can you do? From what she’s saying, she’s had experience with this, and each one pained her; going past the doors behind her will lead to a world where humans get killed, leaving no trace behind. Leaving nothing to be remembered.

_*And that scares you._

Yet staying here doesn’t feel right, either. It wouldn’t be fair to Fresh if you did nothing. You promised the brightly-dressed skeleton that you’d help him go home, after all, and something deep inside your SOUL demands that you uphold your promise-

But you don’t want to hurt Toriel, either.

_*Despite reaching an ultimatum, you’re certain everything will work out if you stay true to yourself._

_*You are filled with INTEGRITY._

You run.

“wh-” Fresh doesn’t have enough energy to teleport over to you, his attention shifting to avoid the wall of flame that shoots his way. He twists away from the sudden heat, the light accenting the UNRAD his shades take on.

You duck underneath a fireball, feeling the flames come close to scorching your cheek. You scramble to avoid the next one, drawing closer, closer-

“Frisk-!”

Toriel stumbles back as you throw yourself at her, startled to feel arms wrap around her midsection. The fireball in her paw immediately dies out when she sees your pained face, brows drawn in determination despite your eyes shining with unshed tears.

_*You tell Toriel you are sorry for hurting her, and that you understand her point of view. You understand, but yet you also made a promise to Fresh to get him back home._

You feel her shake against you as she lowers her arms, gripping the back of your shirt. For a second you fear that she’s going to throw you off, but your fears are thrown out the window when she draws you in closer and sinks to the ground, breath hitching with silent sobs.

“He-...He won’t show MERCY to you, my child...He has deluded our people…!”

You hear footsteps approach, and you turn your head. Fresh is putting out a mini fire on the cap of his hat, his grin relaxed as sweat beads on his skull. You chalk it up to all the running around he’s done.

He comes to a stop next to you two, patting Toriel’s shoulder. The UNRAD from before shifts into NO PROB. “chill out, broseph! ‘sides,” he starts, his grin turning sheepish under the incredulous look you give him, “i’ll be with little bro. y’know ya can count on your ol’ buddy Fresh t’ keep an eye on ‘em!”

You miss when Toriel gives the skeleton an unimpressed look. “Even after you nearly burned my house down from leaving the pie in the oven for too long?”

He retracts his hand, rubbing the back of his neck as he shrugs. He doesn’t comment, but the OOPS on his shades say plenty.

Her gaze hardens. _“Numerous times?”_

“da past is past, my bro!” He waves her off before shooting finger guns her way. You try your best to stifle your chuckles. “‘sides, little b here didn’t get hurt right? it’s all gucci!”

You blink as Toriel sets you on your feet, standing up herself and brushing dirt off of her robes. There’s a ghost of a smile on her face, although the pain in her eyes when she looks at you quickly overshadows it.

_Like she’s seeing a dead person walking._

A hand clasps down onto your shoulder, an arm drawing you to the side as you feel another hand mess up your hair.

“we got this, Tor.” Fresh says with certainty, his grin widening as you try to bat him away. He ruffles your hair further, paying no mind to the protests you say in-between laughs. “jus’ look at us! a couple o’ bros, ready to take on da world! p rad, right?”

You notice Toriel relax further once Fresh speaks, stepping out of the way to let you two pass. You don’t know how he does it, but he seems to know how to get people to calm down in his own weird way. Maybe it’d come in handy in the future.

You and Fresh walk past her, you lost in your thoughts as Fresh whistles a strange tune with his hands behind his skull. You almost miss when Toriel calls out to you, stopping you in your tracks. Fresh continues on, not once turning around.

“Promise me!” The goat monster shouts, and your heart nearly breaks at the tears on her cheeks. “Promise me that you two will look after each other, and that you won’t fall for the king’s game!”

Well, didn’t that sound ominous. You nod once to show that you heard, giving her a wave and a soft smile of reassurance before running over to your companion. Fresh gives a lazy wave over his back, his pace having slowed to let you catch up.

“sure ya wanna leave now?” He asks once you level with him, because he has to be sure.

You nod, gaze focused on the doors in front of you.

_*You tell him that if you stayed now, you would never leave. And you hate breaking promises._

_*You are filled with_ ~~_INTEGRITY_ ~~ _DETERMINATION._

Without another word, you and Fresh push the doors open…

To the rest of the Underground.

* * *

**PARTY STATS**

NAME: Frisk (The Human Child)

LV: 1

HP: 14/20

ATK: 5

DF: 20

_*Is sad to leave Toriel behind, but determined to get Fresh home. Wonders what awaits them beyond the Ruins._

NAME: Fresh (The ~~Paras~~ Party Skeleton)

LV: **ERROR_01134:** FILE LOST. SEARCHING...

HP: 4/5

ATK: **ERROR_3434:** FILE LOST. SEARCHING...

DF: 100

_*Enjoying himself. Has a bad feeling due to their fast progression through the Ruins, his inability to leave, the lack of SAVE points, and what Toriel told him three days ago. Refrains from telling Frisk._

**FRISK’S INVENTORY:**

_*Pair of sneakers_ _x1_

(A pair of completely ordinary shoes. Just _run_ with it for now.)

 _*Water Bottle x2_

(A refreshing drink that helps you think! Now comes with double the life!)

_*Chalk x1_

(What’s this, Minotaur’s Labyrinth? Just what do you expect to do with this?)

_*Superhero Comic x1_

(Never leave home without it. Never forget.)

_*Shiny Rocks x5_

(Look! All your treasure-hunting dreams have come true!)

_*Box of Band-Aids (x20 band-aids)_

(Even if they can’t heal internal bleeding or emotional wounds, they’ll patch up any external ones! Restores 10 HP each.)

_*Homemade Brownie x1_

(A slice of warm, gooey chocolate that carries all the feelings of love and compassion. Restores to max HP.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Fresh joins your PARTY! And it seems like he likes you enough to hang around, no less. It looks like we're starting off with a bang!
> 
> I will be putting Inventory and Stats at the end of each chapter, and questions for you to answer here in the end notes. I hope it clears up any future confusion! Here are the questions:
> 
> *You run into someone- or, rather, they run into you. How do you react?  
> a) Warily  
> b) Easygoing  
> c) Hostile  
> d) Open-minded
> 
> *Based on your previous actions, the other person reacts in a strange manner. What do you think of them?  
> a) Condescending  
> b) Eccentric  
> c) Underestimating your party  
> d) Interesting
> 
> *Fresh seems to know something you don't. How do you approach him?  
> a) With anger  
> b) With sadness  
> c) With caution  
> d) With hurt
> 
> *You have the chance to find out a secret. Do you take it?  
> a) Yes  
> b) No
> 
> *Do you use an item?  
> a) Yes  
> b) No
> 
> *Based on your previous answer, what item do you use?  
> a) Pair of sneakers  
> b) Water Bottle [70% left in one bottle]  
> c) Chalk  
> d) Superhero Comic  
> e) Shiny Rock  
> f) Box of Band-Aids  
> g) Homemade Brownie  
> h) None, because you don't need to use any
> 
> *Based on your previous answer, do you share the item with Fresh?  
> a) Yes  
> b) No
> 
> *Do you wish to RESET?  
> a) Yes  
> b) No


	3. Snow Meeting's Too Stressful, Wouldn't You Agree?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet yet another skeleton. He’s quite the character. Something’s up with Fresh.
> 
> You make a few choices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally getting into the writing groove! My tumblr is https://wheresleepingboneslie.tumblr.com/ if you want to scream about Undertale to me!
> 
> I won't keep you all waiting with the notes, so without further ado here's Chapter 3!

The first thing you register once you leave the Ruins is how _cold_ it is.

The wind bites into your cheeks, your hand reaching up to gingerly touch the open wound on your slightly burnt face. White fills your vision as far as the eye can see, some of it falling into your vision, and for a moment you’re blown back.

_It’s snow._

How long has it been since you’ve seen snow? You’re not sure, ~~you don’t remember~~ , but the sudden ache in your heart suggests that it’s been quite a long time.

“we’re on our own now, little bro.”

You blink, nearly forgetting your companion in the face of the environment change. How long had you both been standing there, left speechless by the snowy terrain before you? 

You shiver involuntarily, wrapping your arms around you. Certainly long enough for the cold to start settling in. Your sweater, while thick, helps little against the freezing temperatures; you’re happy that your backpack traps at least a little bit of heat on your back.

_*You tell Fresh that it’s alright, since you have Toriel in your list of contacts._

You gaze ahead, missing the way Fresh winces. “ah, yeah broski, ‘bout that…”

He falls silent, not bothering to continue. You finally turn to him, a brow raised with a pointed question. Is it just you, or is he sweating? _In_ this _cold? There’s no way._

“let’s, uh,” the skeleton pats your shoulder, leading you away from the Ruin doors, “keep goin’, a’ight? our bro Tor needs all da juice she can get to bake us pies for when we skedaddle back.”

You instantly brighten at the mention of the baked heavenly goods, letting Fresh usher you through the snow. He snickers at your expression, his shades switching to WHEW before changing to YOLO, which you’re quickly finding out is their default.

 _Speaking of changes…_ A lightbulb goes off in your head as you remember something. You snap your fingers, gaining Fresh’s attention with an eager wave of your hand.

_*You ask Fresh about his teleportation._

The skeleton’s permagrin widens at the question, shades changing to WINK. You do your best to stifle your chuckles at the display. “p rad, huh? it’s my magic. i can jus’ go somewhere, as long as i know where i’m goin’.” 

His grin falters at the edges. “...so it ain’t really clickin’ why i can’t leave to visit Ink brah.”

Your own smile dampens at the words. Right; Fresh needs to go home. Fresh _wants_ to go home. And if the Underground is anything like the picture Toriel painted for you, then no monster would want to help him; in fact, they’ll most likely try to make him stay even _more,_ not to mention the “king’s game” she mentioned. The world outside the Ruins is a dangerous place not only for you, but for Fresh, too.

_*But you are having none of it. Thinking about your promises to Fresh and Toriel and your quest to fulfill them fills you with INTEGRITY._

Something cold hits your nose, making you blink. You glance up just as another snowflake falls into your line of sight, then another, and yet another, piling on the ground like the promises you’ve accumulated so far-

“yooo, anyone home in there?” Fresh waves his hand in front of your face. “don’t worry so much, little broski; ya got a good head on ya. whatev happens, happens.”

 _Whatev happens, happens._ It’s a phrase that shouldn’t be applied to your situation, but you find yourself smiling again as you relax. You really shouldn’t work yourself up over things that haven’t happened yet. What’s more, you were going to look out for each other; at the very least, you were going to stick with Fresh until the end. 

He’s helped you along this far, and he seems to genuinely care for your wellbeing. The least you can do is help him in turn.

_*You tell your companion that you aren’t worrying, only setting goals for yourself._

He reaches out to give you a noogie, making you chuckle as you try to bat the offending hand away from you. “look at my bro, goin’ in with a game plan! i’ll stick by ya an’ make sure to give you _fresh_ vibes!”

Your chuckles turn into a snort at the pun, shaking your head in fake exasperation even as he gives you finger guns. _He’s been hanging around Toriel too much,_ you think, _if he’s making puns that terrible._

His shades shift to form WOW. “no laugh? dang, broski; that stings.”

When his permagrin falls slightly after he speaks, you’re not sure if he’s actually hurt by your reaction or thinking about something else. You tug on the hem of his (surprisingly soft) jacket, not moving as he pokes your shoulder in question, and give his femur a reassuring pat.

_*You tell Fresh that everything is going to be okay._

He falls silent for a second before an amused chuckle leaves him. It sounds strained. “sure thing, little bro; you da boss.”

You honestly weren’t expecting that kind of response from _Fresh_ of all people- er, monsters. He usually shrugs things off with a grin and a wave, so you assumed that he was the kind of person who didn’t let things bother them.

Something is obviously making him worry. You hoped that your constant reassurances would get him to open up, but it seems that even your near-death experience at the hands of a ~~grieving~~ Toriel wasn’t enough to make him comfortable with you. You’re not sure why you’re going to such great lengths, but something in your SOUL tells you to look out for Fresh as much as he’s looking out for you.

_*But what should you do?_

You’re lost in thought as he walks forward, expecting you to follow behind him. “let’s keep this train movin’ and groovin’; gotta check out da place and find rad spots t’ chill.”

He doesn’t get a response. He walks forward a couple more feet before realizing the lack of sound from his companion, turning around with a raised brow only to freeze at the sight of you.

You take a hesitant step forward, your own brows furrowing in concentration and worry. You haven’t forgotten about the few times where you felt something... _off_ about Fresh, and Flowey has already given you a taste of how dangerous monsters can be. You’d have to be smart about this; one wrong move, and he’d refuse to tell you anything.

_*You carefully ask Fresh if something’s wrong._

He remains still, rooted to the ground. His grin comes back wider, but no matter how hard he tries to force it to be genuine you know it’s fake.

“whaddya mean, broski? we’re just movin’ on. nothin’ ta see here.”

 _Nothing to s-_ what did he mean by that? Something is _clearly_ wrong! You shake your head at him, taking another step forward and continuing until you grasp the sleeve of his jacket. The way he’s acting is only making you more suspicious and concerned, hurt settling in your heart. Why won’t he tell you? Did you do something wrong?

 _\- Wait._ You peer closer, noticing the slight tilt of his skull from side to side despite looking in your general direction. Is-...Is it that he _can’t_ tell you? Why? There’s no one out here from what you can see, pine trees lined up on either side of you as you trudge through the snow.

What’s stopping him from telling you? 

You go to ask him but you think you see a flash of words across his shades, which say L8TR, so the next question on your tongue dies as relief blooms in your chest. You’re right; it’s not that he doesn’t want to tell you, he just can’t tell you now. _So much for not worrying and taking it easy._

You see that he’s not going to budge on the matter, so you drop it. Instead you motion for him to wait as you shoulder off your backpack, rummaging around. He looks on in curiosity as you finally pull out a box, popping open the lid and ushering him to lean down.

“somethin’ up, my good brosk-”

_*You place a band-aid against the scorch mark on Fresh’s ulna and grab another band-aid to place against the burn on your cheek._

_*PARTY’s HP fully restored!_

“...”

Fresh’s shades are undergoing a lightshow at the moment, and you watch on in awe. Once he notices you looking at them he raises a hand to adjust the shades, the words stubbornly setting to their default YOLO.

“whatcha lookin’ at, little bro?”

You snicker, going to poke his femur before stopping. It’s probably still sensitive from the burns even though the worst of it is on his ulna, so instead you reach for his jacket. Even though he’s tense, he lets you grip his sleeve. “wut’s up? see somethin’?”

You shake your head, giving his sleeve another tug in hopes that he’d understand your silent message. He cocks his head, turning his skull so he can properly look at you, and you shoot him a quick thumbs-up.

_*You tell him that he’s right; moving forward is the best thing to do for now._

Fresh’s grin widens in barely contained happiness, patting your head once before moving away. “now we’re talkin’, little bro!”

You give him a hesitant smile, knowing that you weren’t truly successful in cheering him up but happy to see that he's not terribly upset, and decide to give him space for now. Being cautious is the only option you see before you, and it’s helped you so far. You’ll respect his discretion and ask questions later.

He steps to the side as you let go of his sleeve, letting you walk past him. Your pace is quicker than usual, and you rub your hands together to keep them warm. Even though you weren’t in the cold for long, the temperature is freezing enough to make your fingers go numb in minutes. The best you can do is to move around and generate body heat.

You’re so focused on getting warm that a shout of “watch out, above you!” is all the warning you get before you’re suddenly yanked to the side by Fresh. _Something_ falls to the snowy ground milliseconds later, snowflakes spraying up into the air and on your heads (well, skull in Fresh’s case).

“all good, broseph?” He asks as he places a hand on your hair, giving it a light pat.

You shoot him a thumbs up, and his grin stretches. His shades shift to WHEW, and he brushes a few snowflakes off your head for good measure. “that’s what i like ta hear! nothin’ can keep my little brah down! but that dude...”

You both turn to the freshly made lump in the snow. Fresh gives a sympathetic wince. “...yeah, probs not gonna walk that off.”

“is everyone alright?”

A figure bursts from the snow, jumping to their feet with an offhand “whoops!”. You blink as more snow flies in every direction from their sudden movement, landing on your head and on the sleeves of your sweater. You’re pretty sure you see some land on the cap of Fresh’s propeller hat, the skeleton lifting a hand up to swipe at it with a chuckle.

_*You say that you’re both okay, and that no harm was done._

“good, good!” The other monster says jovially for someone who crash-landed to the ground as they brush themselves off, looking completely at ease. You blink in astonishment. “kinda flew a bit far, but i’m glad i didn’t hit anyone this time. practically a new world record for me!”

_This time?_

The snow finally settles so that you can get a good look at the new arrival, and you peer closer. In front of you two stands...yet another skeleton monster, who is currently taking off their shoe to dump out a copious amount of snow. How they got so much snow in one shoe, it’s anyone’s guess. They hop on one foot until they’re able to put it back on, humming a tune as they stomp the ground to make sure it’s in place.

They finally look up, and their eyelights lock with your curious gaze. They quickly glance to the side at something else before their permagrin grows, walking closer and extending a hand out to you.

“well what do we have here? new arrivals?” The skeleton asks as you raise your own hand to grip their- no, _his_ own, giving it a few shakes. It grips at the slightly rough material of his fingerless gloves, the black sticking out like a sore thumb against the snow, although your own black sweater isn’t doing you any favors in terms of camouflage.

His eyelights shine with mirth. “welcome to Digitale, Player! my name’s Sans! and you are?”

You pause. How are you even supposed to answer him? He dropped out of the sky with little warning, and he was being...oddly polite. Easygoing, like Fresh. Not quite friendly, but also not completely stoic, either. It’s nice that he gives off a different vibe than Flowey, though.

Nonetheless, he’s strange.

You feel a hand pat your back, the sudden warmth jolting you out of your thoughts. A quick glance at Fresh shows him shrugging, tilting his skull in curiosity at the other. His shades flicker to something, but the angle you’re at obscures it from view. It looks like you’re on your own to feel this one out. _Well, here goes nothing._

_*You tell him your NAME, and that it’s nice to meet him._

Silence. Then, suddenly, he throws his skull back and bursts out laughing. You take a step back out of shock, not expecting the noise.

“you’re an interesting one, aren’t you?” he manages to say after he calms down, releasing his hold and shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts. Fresh is silent beside you. “you’re pretty polite, kid...and looking a little lost, too. how about i show you the ropes? i can lead you into town, point out places. it’s lively there; there’s always some new GAME to play, though you probably know all about it by now.”

You go to nod, eager to accept his offer, but Fresh places a hand on your shoulder. You look up at him, your mouth drawn taut with worry once his grip tightens.

“while that’d be p rad, we’re doin’ fine. ‘sides,” he says, his permagrin stretching as he shifts his stance, “who knows what they’d do to my little bro? they probs think that it’s all a game and turn ‘em in. can’t exactly have that. ya get me, brah?”

The words on their own are cordial enough, but the lilt in Fresh’s voice is off. You feel yourself shiver at the underlying threat, your frame tensing. How many times would this make it where you felt danger from your companion? Twice, three times? Four? 

Well, you suppose it doesn’t matter. You’re just happy that his threats aren’t directed at you, though you’re confused at the sudden wariness. Fresh isn’t one to sweat the small stuff, so his behavior towards this new monster is throwing you for a loop. He wasn’t like this with Toriel.

_Are they dangerous?_

The new arrival - _Sans, his name is Sans, you’ll have to remember that_ \- puts a hand on his chest, looking scandalized before chuckling at Fresh’s tone. “ _chill_ out, chill out! who do you take me for, a feral beast? i’m not going to attack a kid for no reason! it’s pointless, anyhow.” 

A moment of silence passes before Sans snaps his phalanges, remembering something. “still, i suppose i should show you the way. what do you say?”

_*SANS wants to temporarily join your PARTY! Do you accept?_

_*Yes_ _*No_

You tap **_*Yes_ ** _,_ and he smiles as he raises a hand for a high-five. It reminds you so much of Fresh it hurts, and you jokingly wonder if they’re related as you slap his hand.

He grins as he turns to Fresh, his eyelights twinkling even after the high-five. “oh, that reminds me; i don’t think i got your name.”

The new skeleton holds his hand out again, this time in Fresh’s direction. He nods his head towards it, gesturing for the other to take it. “again, my name’s Sans. Sans the Skeleton. i think we got off on the wrong shoe there. what do you say to new beginnings?”

“...Fresh. nice ta meetcha, brah!” Your friend eventually says, shades shifting to WINK as he takes Sans’ hand and shakes it. It’s rough, but Sans doesn’t seem to mind; in fact, his grin softens before he steps back and turns on his heel.

“well, the offer still stands. the way to town is a bit tricky, and these woods go on for quite a bit if you don’t know where you’re going.”

You glance at Fresh. Fresh glances back.

_*Follow Sans?_

_*Yes_ _*No_

You tilt your head at your friend, waving your hand at Sans’ retreating back and then at the two of you. He shrugs, shades changing to DUNNO before stopping on UR CALL. You look back to the question before you, quickly slapping your choice.

_*Follow Sans?_

**_*Yes_** _*No_

If what Sans said is true, then it’d take trial and error before you found the town. You don’t think your body can last that long; you’re already shivering, and your core temperature is slowly but surely dropping.

Fresh’s grin is carefully neutral as he shrugs again. “let’s skedaddle ‘fore you turn into an ice pop.”

You nod eagerly, take a step forward-

_Pbfft!_

You all fall silent. Fresh stares at you, the corners of his permagrin twitching upwards against his will. Very carefully you lift your shoe, brushing the snow off of the spot you stepped on, and sure enough there’s something on the ground.

You pick up the whoopee cushion that was previously buried in the snow, expression stoic. Sans doesn’t turn around, but you see his shoulders tremble as he does his best to hold his laughter in.

“ah, the ol’ whoopee cushion in the snow trick,” he cackles. Your face can’t get any flatter than it is. “gets them every time.”

Fresh snickers beside you. 

_*You make a mental note of Fresh’s betrayal._

* * *

When you catch up to Sans, his hands are shoved back into his pockets and he’s walking as if he’s taking a leisurely stroll through the park. You keep pace behind him, Fresh matching your speed to the left of you. Snowflakes gently pepper your face and your clothes, accumulating on the vast expanse of pine trees to both sides of you; you’d be lying if you say it isn’t a beautiful sight.

Despite the allure of your surroundings, your curiosity draws your gaze back to the skeleton in front of you. His midnight blue sweater seems comfy enough to keep him safe from the elements, if the sleeves didn’t cut off just before his radius. His sleeveless jacket looks pretty cool though, and you could’ve _sworn_ that you saw the single skull button on the jet black material change facial expressions when he spoke. The monster’s body language screams “relaxed”, and from what you can tell it’s not forced. He’s interesting despite irking you with his prank, and you’re afraid that if you ask even one question the rest will come tumbling out like a waterfall.

To be honest, you have as many questions as you do because you’re confused. From what Toriel told you, monsters outside the Ruins would be hunting you down for sport; humans are targeted for their SOULs. Add on the fact that a few days back she mentioned how skeleton monsters are few and far between...

“y’know,” Sans hums, startling you, “if you have questions, you can always ask. it’ll be a bit before we reach town, anyhow.”

Where do you even start? _Why did you fall out of the sky? What did you mean by “this time”? What are the other monsters like? How can all these GAMES differ for each individual?_ You blink, and sneak a glance at Fresh. Your friend’s been whistling a tune you don’t recognize, staring off into the distance as he follows the other. If he notices you staring he doesn’t react, though he does lightly touch the band-aid on his ulna from time to time.

_*You ask Sans what the town is like._

Sans tilts his head to the side, his humming pausing as he thinks. “the town - Snowdin - is a nice place to start if you’re new. on the smaller side, but like i said there’s always a new GAME to play every day.”

He looks over his shoulder, smiling at you. “you’ll love it there, don’t worry.” 

You’re not sure how to feel about the reassurance. Like Fresh brought up, he could be leading you towards a trap; he certainly still doesn’t seem to trust him, even if he’s playing nice. 

But so far, Sans hasn’t done anything other than prank you. He doesn’t seem hostile, either, which is a plus. After mulling it over, you decide to believe Sans. He seems genuine enough, and besides if anything goes wrong, you will always have Fresh by your side.

“...well, at least _you_ will.” Sans chuckles, speaking before you can ask another question. “i don’t know about the other one. maybe he’d like Techland better? or maybe he’d like one of my favorite spots.”

He stops walking. You both pause a few feet back, Fresh watching him warily even as he continues to whistle. Sans turns around, an amused grin settling on his skull. His tone is friendly, innocuous.

“usually i’d say something along the lines of “can’t say for sure”, but _judging_ by the way he looks ready to tear me to shreds, i’d say that’s a no-go.”

_Huh?_

Fresh seems like he’ll _what?_ You look over at him, but all you see is his laidback permagrin. You frown. Nothing seems out of place, so you’re left confused, which is a recurring theme with you today.

“sorry brah, but i’m stickin’ with my little bro.” Fresh shrugs as he places a hand on your head, wrapping his free arm around your shoulders for a side hug. _He’s been doing that a lot lately,_ you note as you look up at him in question, _but maybe he’s always done that. I just hope he’s alright._ Nonetheless, you’re happy that he chose to stick with you; it certainly makes upholding your promise easier.

Sans is quiet as his eye sockets narrow, his grin stretching as he stares at you two. “...i see. well, you’re going to have to go through my brother if you want to reach town. he’s kinda ecstatic about the whole “hunting humans” thing, and it’s his job to turn them in to the Royal Guard.”

You’re pretty sure your heart stops at his words. Fresh’s shades shift to UNCOOL, shaking his head with an ~~stressed~~ amused chuckle.

“not rad ta keep somethin’ like dat from us, brah.”

Sans has the audacity to look sheepish as he scratches his cheekbone. “i’m sorry about that; i kinda forgot in all of my excitement. and, well, considering i’m also a sentry…”

You look like you just got suckerpunched. Sans notices your change in mood and tries to raise it, his skull button looking panicked but reassuring.

“i...uh. well. at least i didn’t turn you in...? and hey! all you have to do is avoid him, easy-peasy!”

 _Famous last words,_ you think miserably.

You can only hope that everything goes as smoothly as Sans says it will.

* * *

**PARTY STATS**

NAME: Frisk (The Human Child)

LV: 1

HP: 20/20

ATK: 5

DF: 20

_*Praying that nothing goes wrong, but they know it will. Hopes Sans’ brother goes easy on their PARTY. Dedicated to upholding their promises, and is filled with INTEGRITY._

NAME: Fresh (The ~~Paras~~ Party Skeleton)

LV: **ERROR_01134:** FILE LOST. SEARCHING...

HP: 5/5

ATK: **ERROR_3434:** FILE LOST. SEARCHING...

DF: 100

_*Wary of Sans. Still amused by Ink’s “surprise”, but worries about how much Frisk will try to find out when they talk later. Finds himself growing attached to them, especially after they gave him a healing item. Knows that Sans was watching them long before he showed himself._

**NEW!**

NAME: Sans (The Skeleton Sentry)

LV: 1

HP: 1/1

ATK: UNKNOWN

DF: UNKNOWN

_*Curious about the new arrivals. Knows about Fresh’s wariness, and thinks it’s amusing. Looking forward to their encounter with Papyrus. Just your ordinary skeleton sentry._

**FRISK’S INVENTORY:**

_*Pair of sneakers_ _x1_

(A pair of completely ordinary shoes. Just _run_ with it for now.)

 _*Water Bottle x2_

(A refreshing drink that helps you think! Now comes with double the life!)

_*Chalk x1_

(What’s this, Minotaur’s Labyrinth? Just what do you expect to do with this?)

_*Superhero Comic x1_

(Never leave home without it. Never forget.)

_*Shiny Rocks x5_

(Look! All your treasure-hunting dreams have come true!)

_*Box of Band-Aids x18 (originally x20, 2 used)_

(Even if they can’t heal internal bleeding or emotional wounds, they’ll patch up any external ones! Restores 10 HP each.)

_*Homemade Brownie x1_

(A slice of warm, gooey chocolate that carries all the feelings of love and compassion. Restores to max HP.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAM! Third chapter's up! You gained a temporary member of your PARTY, Sans, and here are the questions for the next chapter!
> 
> *How do you feel about meeting Sans' brother?  
> a) Apprehensive  
> b) Indifferent  
> c) Excited  
> d) Worried  
> e) Wary
> 
> *You get pulled into an ENCOUNTER! What do you do?  
> a) ACT  
> b) ACT  
> c) ACT  
> d) ACT
> 
> [ERROR. OTHER OPTIONS NOT AVAILABLE. CAUSE: UNKNOWN.]
> 
> *What options do you choose for ACT? [Choose Two.]  
> a) Plead  
> b)Smile  
> c)Flirt  
> d) Insult  
> e) Inquire  
> f) Dance  
> g) Compliment
> 
> *How do you feel about the eventual talk you're going to have with Fresh?  
> a) Concerned  
> b) Sympathetic  
> c) Angry  
> d) Confused
> 
> *Something happens that makes you feel deja vu. Do you push yourself for answers?  
> a) Yes  
> b) No
> 
> *Do you trust Sans?  
> a) Yes  
> b) No
> 
> *Do you wish to RESET?  
> a) Yes  
> b) No


	4. The Annual Drop Dead Snowdrift Race: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus is everything you didn’t expect him to be. Sans is as mischievous as usual. You end up bonding a little with Fresh.
> 
> Did someone mention a race?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience! This chapter ended up being 7k+ words, so to make the chapters come out faster and make sure you all feel more involved in the story I will be making the chapters shorter than this! This is the last longest chapter...for a while, at least.
> 
> Without further ado, here's Chapter 4!

You’re not sure what to do with the vital information Sans dropped on you like a bomb.

He has a brother? Who likes to hunt humans? And  _ you’re _ a human who’s going to meet him. Adding the two together is going to spell nothing but trouble for you.

_ Fresh has to have realized it too, _ you think as you spare a glance over at him. He’s keeping his gaze trained ahead but you’re certain that he’s keeping you in his peripheral, too. He’d made it clear that he doesn’t trust you to be alone with Sans, or for himself to be alone with him.

_ Speaking of... _ You turn to look at the new addition to your PARTY. Sans has been darting off the path often to hum in appreciation at something, sometimes crouching down to make snow mounds. You take a peek as you move past each creation, eyes landing on the writing beneath each one.

_ 1ST RUN _

_ 2ND FALL _

_ 4TH CRY _

_ 1ST GAME _

You have no idea what they mean. You’re too busy worrying about Sans’ brother to even  _ think _ about asking him. Fresh seems to notice your concern and pats your head, his shades flickering to U OK? as he slows his pace a bit. You also drop your march through the snow, letting Sans trail on ahead before tilting your head.

“what’s the sitch, lil’ broski?”

_ *You tell Fresh of your concern about Sans’ brother. _

Fresh’s grin widens, the U OK? switching to HAHA. “it’ll be a’ight, broseph!” he says as he pats your head. “tho this brah’s...got some strange stuff, ‘m sure his bro is chill. ‘sides, if he ain’t then we can poof on outta here.”

You don’t have the heart to point out Fresh’s eyesore of clothing choice. What you  _ do _ have the heart for, however, is to point at his propeller hat and school your features into a  _ really? _ expression.

He has the audacity to wag his browbones at you, holding his brightly colored jacket out. “like the digs, broski?”

Your neutral expression quickly shatters the longer he wags his browbones, quiet laughter escaping you. Your companion stops his antics at the sound, reaching over to ruffle your hair.

“there’s dat smile. c’mon; we ain’t far off now.”

“he’s right,” Sans says as he appears beside you. You jump a little at his sudden entrance, looking over to where you saw him last.  _ How did he move that fast? _ “my brother’s doing his rounds, but you don’t have to worry...even if he  _ is _ hunting humans.”

You give him a blank stare. Sans fidgets in place. “...well. okay. i’ll admit, you can worry a little. but not by much! he’s a sweet guy!”

You keep staring at him. He grins, royal blue eyelights flickering. 

_ *You feel equally awed and wary. _

“he won’t hurt you, trust me.”

And there it is; the million dollar phrase. You mask your grimace with a shrug of indifference, finally tearing your gaze away from the skeleton. You certainly don’t trust Sans at all, much less with something as important as your  _ life. _ He may have joined your PARTY, but he said it himself: it’s only temporary. Once that contract is up, who knows what he’ll do?

Fresh seems to pick up on your unease, because seconds later you feel a hand place itself on your backpack and push you forward. You stumble a bit before regaining your footing, raising a brow at your companion as his shades flash to WHOOPS.

“i like a good convo every now an’ then, but we gotta get goin’. little broski’s gonna become an ice pop at dis rate.”

Oh, why did Fresh remind you? Now that you’re aware of it again, you can feel the cold seeping through your clothes and biting at your skin. You suppress a shudder, wrapping your arms around yourself.

Sans hums - something you’re quickly realizing that he does a lot - as he looks at your shivering frame. “yeah,” he says strangely, and you tense as the feeling of being picked apart under a microscope washes over you. “...they are, aren’t they?”

The look on his skull becomes increasingly unnerving the more you gaze at it, so you turn away and focus on your steps. You hope he didn’t pick up on your distrust; the last thing you need is a butthurt skeleton.

_...Well, not exactly butthurt, _ you think as you see him skip ahead, brushing some snow off of a tree while he hums a small tune.  _ He doesn’t seem to be the type to get hurt by anything. _

You file that information away for later. At least it means that you can be a bit blunt about your thoughts with him.

Your walk continues in quiet for a few minutes before Sans’ skull lights up like a Christmas tree, his grin widening. “oh! we’re close now. can’t you tell?”

You tune into your surroundings.  _ Silence. _ After giving Fresh a confused glance (to which he shrugs, but his knowing grin says more than it should) you turn towards Sans.

_ *You tell Sans that you don’t hear anything, and ask what you should be listening for. _

Just as the last word leaves your mouth, a screech pierces the snowy air.

**_“SANNNNNNSSSS!!”_ **

_ *. . . _

_ *. . . _

_ *You give Sans an unimpressed look. _

Your deadpan has Sans doubling over. “it seems you got your answer,” he chortles. “he sounds a bit frustrated...i wonder why?”

_ *You have the sudden urge to smack your own face. _

“maybe ‘cuz ya ain’t atcha crib?” Fresh pipes in. Sans snickers at that, kicking some snow off the path as he responds with amusement.

“it could be. let’s go check it out.”

* * *

When you step into a clearing and see who you can only assume to be Papyrus, your heart sinks into your stomach.

The skeleton in question has his arms crossed, tapping a cobalt boot against the ground. His leather jacket is cuffed at the elbows, and a blue soft-looking scarf rests on top of it. Underneath the jacket is-...is that grey  _ body armor? _

Intimidating appearance aside, you’re more concerned about the _pretty_ _sharp-looking_ _spear_ on his back.

“SANS!” He shouts once your PARTY gets close enough, eyelights trained on the skeleton in front of you. It seems like he hasn’t noticed you or Fresh yet (though  _ how _ is the better question, seeing as Fresh stands out like a floodlight in the dark). “YOU KNOW BETTER THAN TO GO OFF RUNNING THROUGH THE WOODS! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT YOUR POST!”

Sans’ grin widens. “’m sorry, Papyrus; i was scoping out the snow again. who knows what fluffy secrets they hold this time?”

Papyrus looks ready to blow a fuse at this point, though you don’t blame him; this  _ is  _ Sans you’re talking about. “NOTHING! WHICH IS THE SAME AS YESTERDAY! AND THE DAY BEFORE THAT!”

“but new snow falls all the time. i gotta figure out what they’re hiding, y’know? plus, it’s  _ ice _ to see the new additions.”

“I DON’T, BROTHER! I REALLY DON’T! AND DID YOU JUST PUN?!”

“hm...maybe~.  _ snow _ problem, though; you’ll get it eventually.”

_ “NYEH!” _

You look back and forth between the bickering brothers, unsure on how to feel. The exchange is domestic, a bit comforting even, but you’re still hyper aware of the situation you’re in. Yes, Fresh can teleport, but you’d rather keep him out of harm’s way. Sans…

You grimace. You don’t trust Sans at all, not to mention he’d most likely pick his brother over a couple of strangers. While he may not have been openly hostile so far, he hasn’t exactly been friendly, either.

It all wires down to one thing:  _ one wrong move means that you’ll get run through with a spear. One wrong move means  _ **_death._ ** And you only had one life, after all. You don’t know about monsters, but a human’s body can handle only so many injuries before it stops functioning.

Suddenly you think back to Fresh’s earlier words.  _ whatev happens, happens. _

_*But you feel the need to do_ _something._

_ *You are filled with  _ **_WORRY._ **

A chuckle comes from beside you, pulling you out of your thoughts, and you turn to Fresh. His permagrin is wide like Sans’, but the edges are smoother. Softer.

_ *You ask Fresh what he thinks of the skeleton brothers. _

“dunno ‘bout hyper over there,” he starts, nodding at Sans (who is laughing without a care in the world while Papyrus holds him by the vest, shaking him back and forth rapidly), “but his bro’s p chill.”

You decide to hold off on voicing your concerns about Papyrus and observe for the time being. Initial impressions aside ( _ holy FUNK that’s a huge spear on his back _ ), he doesn’t  _ seem _ violent. Maybe he just needs time to mellow out.

A few feet away Sans says something, mischief twinkling in his eyelights, and Papyrus throws him as far away as he can with a fed up  _ “NYEH!”. _ You and Fresh turn your heads to follow the arc Sans makes through the air, the skeleton disappearing over the treetops.

Silence descends on the clearing.

_ *. . . _

_ *You are praying for your INTEGRITY to hold out. _

“WOWIE! IS THAT A BROTHER LOOKALIKE? I DIDN’T KNOW HE WAS ABLE TO CLONE HIMSELF! THOUGH YOU ARE VERY COLORFUL...AND CHEERFUL. NOT TO SAY MY BROTHER ISN’T THOSE THINGS ALSO!”

Papyrus’ loud voice brings your attention back to him, discarding your curiosity for where Sans would’ve landed. He’s walking closer, and you have to peer around Fresh to look at him. When had Fresh moved into your line of sight?

You can only see the back of your companion’s skull, but you guess he’s grinning like usual. “yup, tho we ain’t related. name’s Fresh; nice ta meetcha bro.” Is it just you, or does Fresh sound a bit happy?

Papyrus takes Fresh’s hand in his own, shaking it up and down in greeting. Fresh’s body wobbles from the force of it, and you wince in sympathy. At least Papyrus is...enthusiastic? Actually, wait, how is Fresh not falling over right now? “AND IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU TOO, NOT-CLONE OF MY BROTHER! IT’S NOT EVERYDAY YOU MEET ANOTHER SKELETON MONSTER, ALTHOUGH BROTHER HAD CALLED EARLIER TO TELL ME TO EXPECT SOME VISITORS.”

Fresh hums. “he did? dat’s rad o’ him.”

“EVEN WITH THE SHORT NOTICE, I WAS ABLE TO THROW SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR THE NEW ARRIVALS.” Papyrus says as he lights up at Fresh’s words, puffing his chest out. You think you see his scarf billow out behind him like a cape. “AND LIKE THE AMAZING SKELETON I AM, I FINISHED IN TIME TO MEET YOU! NYEH, NO OBSTACLE IS TOO CHALLENGING FOR THE HEROIC PAPYRUS!”

He pauses. “...THOUGH, BROTHER SAID THAT THERE WERE TWO OF YOU. WHERE IS THE OTHER ONE?”

Your blood runs cold at his words. Before you can stop yourself you’re reaching out to hold Fresh’s hand, and he lets you take it. You give him a concerned squeeze.

Fresh’s tone is even, nonchalant. “they’re here. P, meet Frisk, my lil’ broski.”

And then Fresh tugs you out from behind him.

You stumble to a stop at his side, unable to look at Papyrus. You don’t want to see his hostile glare. You don’t want to see him pull the spear off of his back and gut you with it. You don’t want to hear his tone of disgust as he calls you all the worst things under the sun.

~~_ You’ve seen enough animosity topside to become sick of it. _ ~~

So when two gloves clamp down on your shoulders, you flinch but make no further moves. You at least hope that it’d be quick and painless, though how someone can be quick and painless with a spear is anyone’s guess.

Papyrus’ clothes rustle as he crouches down to your height. “YOUR FRIEND IS...A HUMAN?!”

“yeppers.” Fresh simply says. It’s faint, but you think you feel your hand get a squeeze. “they’re p rad, helpin’ me out an’ all.”

“...I SEE.”

You keep your gaze turned away, tensing...only for Papyrus to move away.

“I WILL BE BACK TO AID YOU SHORTLY, HEROIC RIVALS OF MINE!” The tall skeleton declares proudly. You risk a peek at him, only to stare in awe as he smiles. It’s warm and reassuring, soothing your nerves. Sans’ description of a human-hunting fanatic seems way out of line with the cool monster before you. “I MUST RECALIBRATE A FEW OF MY TRIALS! FOR NOW, MY BROTHER WILL LEAD YOU TO THE FIRST ONE. ISN’T THAT RIGHT, SANS?”

“sure is, Papyrus.”

You jump as a hand places itself on your head, ruffling your hair. Fresh’s grip on your hand tightens, though not enough to hurt. A look up reveals Sans to be the culprit, his grin carefree even as bits of snow slip off his skull.

He chuckles at your startled reaction. “i can send them your way no problem. looks like i’ll be your tour guide for a bit longer, kid!”

“DO NOT GIVE THEM TOO MUCH TROUBLE, BROTHER,” Papyrus grumbles, side-eyeing the shorter skeleton. Sans merely hums at the statement, neither affirming or refusing. “I MEAN IT. THEY ARE NEW, AND THE HEROIC PAPYRUS MUST TEST THEM WITH TRIALS BEFORE THEY HEAD INTO TOWN!”

“okay.”

“NO HARMING OR THROWING THINGS AT THEM!”

“okay.” 

“NO PRANKS!”

Sans chuckles at that one, but nods in agreement. “okay.” 

“NO MISCHIEF!”

“okay.” 

Papyrus stamps a foot against the ground. You find it a little funny, even giving a small snort, but when he looks your way you immediately gaze at the snow. “NYEH! IS “OKAY” ALL YOU CAN MUSTER? SAY SOMETHING ELSE BROTHER, SO THAT I KNOW YOU’RE SERIOUS!”

“...” Sans’ grin widens. The corner of your mouth quirks up into a smile. Fresh’s shades flash to WELP.

Papyrus seems to realize his mistake, rapidly waving his hands in front of him in mercy. “BROTHER, DON’T YOU DARE-”

“ok. promise.” 

You blink. It...didn’t sound any different? But then why did Fresh snort, and why does Papyrus look like his eyelights were popping out of his sockets?

“I...YOU...NYEH!” Papyrus stamps a boot against the ground (again) before marching off, his weapon hitting his back with a repetitive  _ clank. _

“love you too, Papyrus.” Sans calls cheerfully as he waves his brother off, waiting until the other disappears beyond the treeline to turn towards you. “so, what do you think of my brother? pretty cool, right?”

_ *You tell Sans that he’s not what you imagined he’d be like based off of his description. _

Sans winks. “that’s because i didn’t tell you the truth.”

“woah there broseph, not rad.” Fresh cuts in as his shades shift to UNCOOL. “lil’ broski wouldn’t have freaked so much if ya didn’t pull somethin’ like dat.”

The other skeleton shrugs. “the kid’s gotta learn to not take everything at face value. there’s much worse i’ve lied about.”

You’re most certainly not pouting, nor are you glaring holes into the ground.  _ Stupid Sans and his stupid grin and his stupid “learning”.  _ You were right to not trust him, though now it’s less out of fear and more out of annoyance.

Sans laughs, amused by your behavior. “well we can keep standing here and talk some more, or we can go meet Papyrus. just follow the path up and stop once you see a sign.”

Fresh tilts his skull in confusion even as he tugs on your hand to get moving. “aren’t ya s’posed ta walk us there?”

He gets waved off, Sans walking in the other direction. “i gotta go take care of some things. I’ll meet you there; i know a shortcut. see you soon! oh, and don’t cheat at the Trials, i’ll know if you do!”

You stare as he cheerfully jumps behind a bush. The leaves rustle a bit before settling down, and a weird feeling soon nestles in your SOUL. 

Sans just broke his promise to Papyrus. And while it was a small one, it still bothers you.

“ya think he would’ve followed up on what P said,'' Fresh says with a shake of his skull. You pat his sleeve in sympathy. “looks like it’s just you an’ me, lil’ broski! let’s bounce!”

You smile, and this time it’s you taking the lead.

_ *While you may not know what the trials hold in store for you both, you have faith in Papyrus to not hand you in after meeting him for the first time. _

_ *You are filled with INTEGRITY. _

* * *

The First Trial is, confusingly enough, a gate so high you can’t see the top of it.

The gate itself is solid, onyx in color. The columns are so thick that any hope you might’ve had of squeezing through them are thoroughly dashed. Fresh places a hand against it and says it’s cool to the touch, which is good; at least it’s not similar to an electric fence.

A few feet away, you spot two statues standing tall in the snow. Both of them are a flower you’ve never seen before, petals closed in and the stem hunched over as if hiding. There’s a bowl at the foot of each one; you note the small snowball resting in the one on the left. You notice a plaque sitting at their bases, and you squat down to get a closer look.

_ ONE FOR THE MEMORIES MADE, ONE FOR THE PROMISES SPOKEN. YOU MAY HAVE FALLEN, BUT YOU HAVE NEVER GIVEN UP. _

_ *You’re unsure as to why, but the plaque makes a pang go through your SOUL. _

You squint at the words like it’ll give you the answers you seek, standing back up. What did it mean? Should you even  _ tamper _ with this?

“looks like ya got a choice, broski.” Fresh hums from behind, and you applaud yourself for not jumping. “do ya wanna take it off, or put another one on?”

You don’t say anything as you kneel to the ground, ignoring the biting cold against your skin and Fresh’s curious gaze. It takes a few moments longer than you liked to get some feeling back into your fingers, but once you do your hands are already scooping up some snow and pressing it into a ball.

Fresh is silent as you work, even as you realize that your snowball is smaller than the one in the left bowl. You place it on anyways, hoping for it to work, only to deflate when nothing happens. It’s then that he recommends packing some more snow onto it, and you nod your head in agreement. 

You pick up the snowball gently and gather more snow from the ground to increase its size; by the time you’re done the ball is almost bigger than your hands, and you’re careful to watch your movements as you place it in the bowl on the right.

_ Click! _

Three columns of the gate disappear into the ground, giving you and Fresh more than enough room to walk through. (You think you hear childlike laughter and the sound of acorns clanking against each other, but as soon as you turn to look for the source of the noise it’s gone.)

Fresh’s grin is triumphant as he ruffles your hair, shades flashing to form YES!. “you da bomb, lil’ broski!”

You beam up at him, tugging on his hand as you lead him through the opening. To be honest, you wouldn’t have felt as calm or as confident if he wasn’t here; Fresh’s presence alone works wonders for your concerns, getting you to relax even when faced with a possible execution at the hands of Papyrus.

_ Ping! _

The world around you seems to stop motion. A screen pops up in front of you, its cerulean outline tempting you to look closer.

**_BOND STATS UPDATED!_ **

_ *View now? _

_*Yes_ _*No_

You shrug and click  _ *Yes, _ the smile lingering on your face. What’s the harm? The world always seems to freeze whenever you enter one of these MENUS, so once you exit it’ll be like no time has passed.

**_BOND STATS - Frisk (Digitale)_ **

**_Flowey (Digitale)_ ** _ \- 0/10 _

_ * _ **_Hates_ ** _ you and your stupid, smug, frustratingly familiar face. Would rather eat a rock than even think about talking to you. _

**_Fresh (Underfresh)_ ** _ \- 1/10 _

_ *Thinks you’re a nice pal for helping him out. Enjoys your company, and likes seeing you happy. _

**_Toriel (Digitale)_ ** _ \- 6/10 _

_ *Worries for your wellbeing, but won’t keep you from your goals. Protective of you and views you as her child. _

**_Sans (Digitale)_ ** _ \- 0/10 _

_ *Watches you run about the Underground in amusement. Finds it funny to tease you. _

**_Papyrus (Digitale)_ ** _ \- 2/10 _

_ *Feels bad for causing you so much concern, but is conflicted. Made sure the Trials weren’t  _ **_too_ ** _ life-threatening after seeing your concern and that you’re in stripes. _

You exit out of the MENU, and a warm feeling bubbles up in your chest despite the cold, catching in your throat. Were you excited that it only took two tries to get this first Trial done right, or were you just looking forward to teaming up with Fresh for the future Trials?

_ Or is it because you feel that in a world full of monsters who want your SOUL, you aren’t doing too badly? _

You can only hope that Fresh understands your happiness just by looking at your facial expression.

...You also may not be able to feel your fingers again, but the pride in your companion’s cheerful gaze is more than enough compensation.

* * *

The Second Trial is a bit more confusing than the first, but it’s just as simple.

_ Get from Point A to Point B. _ Point A and Point B are both safe areas: fenced off with a tall (though not as tall as the gate in the First Trial) barrier, snow piled against the ground all around, small walkways to indicate a mini path, and a few stray boxes here and there. The only difference between the two is that Point B has a pressure platform.

You and Fresh gape.

Between the two points are dozens upon _dozens_ of portals. Some are angled upwards, others are completely vertical, and some are even floating _fourteen_ _feet_ off the ground. One lone portal lands safely into Point B, being a mere two feet above the ground and angled downwards.

There’s a wooden sign with a note taped to it. While your companion composes himself enough to whistle in amazement at the portals, you take the time to read it.

_ AS EXPECTED OF A HUMAN! YOU GOT THROUGH THE FIRST TRAP WITH AS LITTLE DIFFICULTY AS POSSIBLE! FOR YOUR NEXT TRIAL, YOU WILL NEED TO FIND THE PORTAL THAT LEADS DIRECTLY TO THE OTHER SIDE. THERE IS ONLY ONE SUCH PORTAL. GOOD LUCK, HUMAN!! _

_ \- THE HEROIC PAPYRUS _

You smile at the words, any remaining concerns you may have about Papyrus dissipating. There’s no threat with this Trial either, the BOND STATS having told you the truth. You’d have to look back at them later on, to see if anything’s changed; for now, though, you’ll try your hand at guessing a portal and going through it.

Satisfied with that plan of action, you pluck the note off of the sign. It’s written smaller than Papyrus’ larger-than-life style, the lowercase words evenly spaced out.

_ my brother’s too easy to predict. i know your “friend” would’ve solved it in no time, too...which is why i took the liberty of swapping a few of the portals around! something small to spice up the trials. why don’t you try it out? i’m sure you’ll have a good time. don’t die on me yet, kid! _

_ \- Sans _

You groan in exasperation.  _ Are you serious? _ The puzzle would’ve been so  _ easy, _ but Sans just  _ had _ to tamper with it, didn’t he? You’re starting to think that getting up to no good is etched into his bones.

(You briefly wonder if this would’ve counted as “causing mischief”, which Papyrus had Sans promise him to  _ not _ do. You decide to not dwell on it for too long.)

“lil’ broski, look!”

You turn to see Fresh standing near a portal...only that he was missing the entirety of his right arm. A flash of panic overtakes you, making you fret before you catch something move out of the corner of your eye.

You look up.

_ *. . . _

Fresh’s arm is waving down at you from six feet in the air. 

The skeleton’s shades are glowing a bright GOTCHA as an amused smirk sits on his skull. “ya shoulda seen yourself, broski; ya were totes buggin’ out.”

You do  _ not _ pout for the second time today at him, tucking the note into the pocket of your shorts and walking over. You place a firm grip on his jacket before tugging his arm back out of the portal, Fresh letting you do so with a snicker.

_ *You tell Fresh that he’s a goofball and that you need to hurry on with the Trials. _

His laughter continues, but after a few seconds he manages to quiet himself and moves away from you. “aiight, i hear ya; lead da way.”

Your face is deadpan as you look between him and the numerous portals. His shades switch to UHHH as he gives a shrug, his grin sheepish.

“start walkin’?”

…

It takes you twenty minutes to search through all of the portals near the ground. Five minutes of that were wasted when Fresh stepped through a portal only to plummet into another one, which led to the original one he stepped through so he was falling onto the second portal all over again, and then in seconds he was going so fast that a solid line of colors going from one portal to the next was all you could make out of your companion. (You’re pretty sure you heard him cackling too, before he teleported out. You’re just happy he’s safe.)

You feel like dropping to your knees. Exhaustion and freezing temperatures are starting to take their toll on you, but to buckle under the weight would be to let your bare skin come into contact with the snow and that would only serve to make you colder.

So you’re left to suffer, wandering through portal after portal and hoping that the next one you’ll go through is the right one.

Fresh pats your shoulder, oblivious to your dilemma. “we gotta reach da ones up top next,” he says with enthusiasm, “an’ i got a rad idea.”

Before you can question what he’s doing bony hands loop under your arms, soon sinking into your armpits as you’re lifted into the air. You look down at your dangling feet before twisting to try and look at Fresh.

_ *You ask Fresh what he’s doing. _

“nuthin’  _ bad,” _ he starts, and immediately you’re filled with concern for your wellbeing, “jus’...a lil’ wack. might not  _ fly _ too hot wit’cha.”

_...Did he just- _

Suddenly you’re flying through the air, thrown head-first towards a portal. Fresh chose the second highest one off the ground, which means that for about ten feet you feel nothing beneath you or around you. You soon lose track of which way is up and which way is down, instead clinging onto the straps of your backpack as it whips around from the motion.

You briefly register the bright light of the portal before you tumble through it, landing face-first in snow. Your backpack swings around and hits the back of your head before falling in front of you.

“broski? we did it!” Fresh calls out to you. You continue to lay there, motionless. “...broski?”

You don’t move.

Something hits the ground next to you before making its way over. “home skillet?”

_ *You refuse to laugh at the name, turn your head, and tell Fresh that you’re playing dead. _

He chuckles in response, nudging you with the tip of his shoe. “c’mon, we gotta bounce.”

_ *You refuse to get up. _

“...well now dat’s a prob,” your companion starts, humor in his voice, “‘specially since P’s waitin’ for us.”

You’re lifted off the ground again, but this time you feel soft material under your legs. You scramble to support yourself before you fall backwards, gingerly gripping the sides of a (horrendously) colorful hat.

“all ‘board da Radical Express!” Fresh grins as he holds your legs in place on his shoulders, walking over to the exit.

You don’t admit that you laugh at his antics, admiring the new height and observing the world around you in awe.

You don't see the soft look Fresh has as he carries you, either.

* * *

When Fresh brings you to the next Trial, you spot two Papyrus and Sans arguing in the snow. Papyrus’ back is turned towards you, so you can see his spear in all of its glory. You pointedly make sure to keep your gaze on the spear’s pommel, refusing to look further down and see the gleaming blade.

As you both get closer, the conversation between the two sounds less like arguing and more like banter. And it seems to be one sided, if Papyrus’ animated hands waving in the air and Sans’ lighthearted laughter are anything to go by.

“WHAT IF THEY DON’T MAKE IT HERE BECAUSE THEY GET LOST, SANS? THEN WHAT?”

Sans puts his hands up in a placating manner, trying to stifle his laughter. You assume that he must’ve told Papyrus a few puns before this particular conversation came up. “have faith in them! and before i ava- _ launch _ into detail, Papyrus, i’m going to ask you to turn around.”

The taller skeleton makes a confused noise and turns. Fresh gives a small wave before moving his hand back to your leg, not wanting you to fall off.

“ey P, what’s the 411?”

“YOU MADE IT!” Papyrus says, his entire skull lighting up in relief. He then seems to realize something as he thrusts his hand out, stopping Fresh in his tracks. “I MEAN- MAKE NO FURTHER MOVE, ADVERSARIES! IT SEEMS YOU HAVE MADE IT PAST ALL MY TRIALS...BUT I HAVE ONE MORE LEFT IN STORE! AS EXPECTED OF THE GREAT AND HEROIC PAPYRUS!”

“you’re the best, Papyrus~” Sans echoes off from the side, snickering when Papyrus gives him a brief “NYEH!” in response.

Fresh’s shade must flash to something else, because an amused grin appears on Sans’ face.  _ “relax,” _ he says with a wave of his hand. “nothing’s going to hurt you or the kid...unless you want it to. then, i’m sure we can-”

“BROTHER! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT HARMING OUR FOES?” Papyrus scolds. Sans looks off to the treeline with an innocent hum. “THEY MUST BEST MY TRIALS IF THEY’RE TO PROCEED! THEY CAN’T DO THAT IF THEY’RE DEAD!”

“right as always, Papyrus.” Sans chimes back. “which is why you have to tell them about the next Trial.”

You don’t like how Sans easily agreed with his brother nor the tone of voice he used, but you keep silent for Papyrus’ sake. The taller skeleton looks ready to jump out of his bones to tell you the next Trial, his entire frame trembling in barely contained excitement.

“OF COURSE, BROTHER! I WAS JUST GETTING TO THAT! FOR THIS LAST TRIAL...” He smiles wide, sweeping a hand out to the side.

“YOU WILL BE FACING ME, THE HEROIC PAPYRUS!” 

He pauses. Sans waves at him from the side, his skull button wearing a mischievous smile. “...AND MY NEARLY-AS-GREAT BROTHER, SANS!”

You tense in Fresh’s hold, your previous worries coming back in full force. Will they try to kill you? Will they turn you over to the king? Then again, Papyrus promised not to bring you any harm…

_ But if he’s anything like his brother, can you trust him? _

“sounds rad. mind if i tag along?”

You stare down from your perch on Fresh’s shoulder at him, shocked. You can’t see his expression, but whatever it is makes Papyrus nod without a second thought.

“OF COURSE, NOT-CLONE OF MY BROTHER! IN FACT, THIS WILL EVEN THE ODDS!”

Fresh sets you down onto your feet, and you try not to shiver at the sudden coldness on the backs of your legs. “‘sup little broski? ya ready ta get somewhere warm soon?”

_ *You nod and tell Fresh that the sooner you get this out of the way, the better. _

Fresh chuckles. “let’s show ‘em a  _ fresh _ time, aiight?”

“I WILL START THE ENCOUNTER NOW, BRAVE FOES!” Papyrus calls out, and your world becomes void of color.

In front of you rests a dark blue SOUL, floating next to an upside down heart. The second SOUL has tiny fissures running along it, a sickly purple glow emanating from it, and it quickly hits you that it’s Fresh’s SOUL.

Fresh reaches over to ruffle your hair, keeping his gaze forward. “no bad vibes, ya dig?”

You still in surprise before you remember his earlier words.  _ whatev happens, happens. _ With a single nod and expression set in determination, you face Papyrus head on.

_ * _ **_PAPYRUS_ ** _ and  _ **_SANS_ ** _ block your way! _

You look down at your options, noting your PARTY’s STATS. Thankfully you had healed both Fresh and yourself earlier, or else you would’ve been in trouble.

_ *FIGHT _

_ *ACT _

_ *ITEM _

_ *MERCY _

While you wish you could avoid fighting Papyrus by pressing MERCY, you get the feeling that he’d take it negatively...not to mention, he wouldn’t let you go. This is the Final Trial, after all. You only have one option:

_ *FIGHT _

**_*ACT_ **

_ *ITEM _

_ *MERCY _

Out of all the choices you have once you press *ACT, a few stand out to you the most. You can’t bear the thought of pressing *INSULT; Papyrus has been nothing but kind to you, and not once has he used the menacing spear on his back.

_ *You eye the *COMPLIMENT and *FLIRT options. _

Fresh snickers from beside you. Judging by his amused grin he can guess what you’re thinking. “take it away, lil’ broski.”

You smile and give him a thumbs up before slamming your hand down on the *COMPLIMENT button.

_ *You tell  _ **_PAPYRUS_ ** _ that you thought his Trials were both challenging and fun. _

_ * _ **_PAPYRUS_ ** _ beams at the praise. _

“WHY THANK YOU, HUMAN!”

_ * _ **_SANS_ ** _ nods. _

“Papyrus spent a lot of time on them. it only makes sense.”

_ * _ **_PAPYRUS’_ ** _ ATK has decreased! _

Fresh follows your lead on ACTING and shoots them both finger guns.

“you’re just going to waste your turn like that?” Sans says, or well he  _ would _ have said if not for Papyrus interrupting.

“I THINK IT’S A COMMENDABLE ACT ON THEIR PART, BROTHER! HEROES ALWAYS SPARE THOSE BEFORE THEM FIRST AND FOREMOST!”

_ * _ **_PAPYRUS’_ ** _ ATK has decreased! _

Sans’ permagrin turns mischievous as he shrugs, closing an eye socket. Your eyes narrow in suspicion. 

“which is why you can’t hold back on them, Papyrus. it’d be disrespectful to do that to a  _ hero.” _

_ *. . . _

_ *PAPYRUS’ ATK has returned to normal! _

You shoot Sans a “wtf” look, but the shorter skeleton is too busy trying to stifle his laughter. Fresh shakes his head to your right, though his grin stays in place.

“HUMAN!” Papyrus says, striking a pose. You see a light spill forth from behind him, his scarf billowing behind him, and you look on in awe. “NOW IT IS MY TURN. PREPARE YOURSELF!”

You tense, preparing by holding a hand out to move your SOUL. Fresh makes no moves to pull his own hands out of his pockets, instead bobbing from left to right to an invisible tune.

Papyrus grins, his own hand outstretched. It glows orange, and a line of bones comes rushing at both of your SOULs from the bottom of the screen.

You and Fresh move out of the way, though it takes you a second to figure out how to move your dark blue heart. Once the attack ends Papyrus gives you both a smile, positivity exuding off of him in waves.

“YOU MAY HAVE DODGED MY FIRST ATTACK, BUT YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO DODGE MY NEXT ONE!” The taller skeleton declares before turning to Sans. “BROTHER, NOW IT IS TIME TO SHOW THEM YOUR MIGHT AND WI-”

“i made a snowman of myself!” Sans calls out cheerfully from his spot on the ground, gesturing to a lump of snow. You stare at it, unsure of how to react. “isn’t it neat?”

“SANS, THAT’S NOT AN ATTACK!” Papyrus scolds, turning on the shorter skeleton. Sans gives him a wink, humming a catchy tune before standing up.

“i can’t really do much, Papyrus. weakest monster in the Underground, remember?”

Papyrus drags a hand down his skull. “I...SUPPOSE THAT IS TRUE. VERY WELL THEN! THE HEROIC PAPYRUS WILL FIGHT IN YOUR STEAD AS WELL!”

Sans grins. “thanks Papyrus; you’re the best.”

You look down, ready to choose when the flavor text catches your eye.

_ * _ **_PAPYRUS_ ** _ dabs some MTT-Brand Disco Cream behind his ears. _

_ * _ **_SANS_ ** _ is wondering if you remember. _

Soon after your options come back up again, and you click on *FLIRT. You can think about all of... _ that _ later; for now, you’ll do your best to get out of this ENCOUNTER without any injuries.

_ *You tell Papyrus that his outfit looks nice, and give a wink. _

Fresh is trying hard to stifle his chuckles as Papyrus actually stumbles a bit from the flirt. Sans openly laughs at his brother, patting his back as tears pool in his eye sockets.

“H-HUMAN! YOU ARE MY RIVAL, NOT...NOT-” The poor skeleton can’t even finish his sentence, too busy tripping over his words. You feel a bit bad for catching him off-guard, but a part of you finds it sweet how he tries to keep up his valiant facade. Sans places a hand on his brother’s shoulder, his expression one of gentle understanding. 

“it’s okay, Papyrus; there’s plenty of stories that involve hero rivals getting together.”

You think Papyrus actually blue-screens. Fresh tilts his skull back and  _ cackles, _ hands sliding out of his pockets to support himself as his shades flash to LMAO. You have your own hands over your mouth, trembling from the effort of keeping your own laughter in.

“SANS!” He shouts as he comes to, gaping at his brother. “THAT ISN’T- IT’S NOT-”

Sans winks up at him. “what’s wrong, Papyrus?  _ rival _ got your tongue?”

The taller skeleton lets out a screech.  _ “SKELETONS DON’T EVEN  _ **_HAVE_ ** _ TONGUES!!” _

“that’s up for debate with a few others, like-”

“i’m jus’ gonna,” Fresh says while gasping for breath, “ _ spare _ ya anymore heat, bro-P.”

True to his word, Fresh presses *SPARE and ends his turn. Papyrus shakes off any remaining embarrassment...or tries to, as one knowing look (coupled with a shit-eating grin) from Sans has him floundering again.

“I-I WILL JUST HAVE TO USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK! PREPARE TO BE SHOWN THE TRUE MIGHT OF THE GREAT AND HEROIC PAPYRU-”

He’s so close to finishing his sentence. He’s honestly a letter away. But a white-coated dog jumps in from the side, gnawing on something with a happy bark.

_ “NYEH!” _ Papyrus says as he stamps the ground with one boot. “SANS! I THOUGHT YOU LOCKED THE ANNOYING DOG IN THE HOUSE! HOW DID THEY GET INTO MY SPECIAL ATTACK?”

“huh.” Sans looks up in the sky, tapping his teeth in thought before he laughs. “...i  _ may _ have forgotten to lock the door when i left. Whoops!”

“DON’T SAY “WHOOPS”, BROTHER!” Papyrus reaches for the dog, but the small animal bounds over to your side and rests there. You give them a small head pat, and they give a happy bark in response. 

Fresh soon comes over to join you, content to let the two brothers continue to argue in the background. That’s how you spend the next five minutes, fawning over the dog with your companion as Papyrus gets exasperated due to Sans’ forgetful nature. It’s funny to hear them go back and forth, and at this point this ENCOUNTER feels like the one you had with Froggit: harmless and fun.

Your mind wanders over to the flavor text you saw before you pressed *FLIRT. Papyrus’ was funny to read, but Sans’...

_ * _ **_SANS_ ** _ wonders if you remember. _

Your head starts to hurt.

_ Are you forgetting something? What do you have to remember? _

Thinking about it more makes the pain sharpen, so you quickly stop. You don’t want to cause yourself any unnecessary side effects, not with the ENCOUNTER still going. Maybe once you’re out of the snow you’ll come back to it.

“then just show them your GAME, Papyrus!” You hear Sans’ voice say as you come back to and turn his way, not noticing Fresh’s scrutinizing stare. The shorter skeleton is looking up at his brother with bright eyelights, and for a second you swear you see them wobble into a different shape. “it’s even cooler than your special attack. it’s your  _ ultimate _ attack, right? and all heroes have an ultimate attack!”

Is this Sans’ way of calming his brother down? Who knows, but weirdly enough it works. Papyrus smiles, righting himself as he pumps a fist in the air. Energy and enthusiasm flow back into his body, and his scarf flutters behind him. How it’s moving when there’s no wind is anyone’s guess, but you find it cool.

“YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, BROTHER! NOW...” He starts as his free hand points at you. Fresh keeps petting the dog off to your side, not paying attention, so you do your best to pay attention for him as well. “PREPARE FOR MY  _ ULTIMATE ATTACK!” _

With a self-assured “NYEH!”, Papyrus throws his arms out to his sides and performs one full spin. Your world fills with color again, and you feel yourself fall into a padded seat. You’re in a car, alright, but it’s dark blue and shaped like a teddy bear on all fours. You give a small smile at the design, running your hands over it. You don’t feel afraid, not with how lax everyone is being as they line up at the starting point. If anything, this feels like a friendly competition.

To your left Fresh lands his feet on a skateboard, his grin widening as he inspects the colorful board. Whatever he was expecting, it wasn’t this; to be honest, he’s looking forward to this race of theirs. Although…

His gaze drifts over beyond Papyrus and towards the shorter skeleton setting his hands on the handles of his motorcycle. Their initial meeting cemented the idea that this Sans knew about alternate timelines, but how  _ much _ he knew is a different story. For now, from what he can see he’s the biggest threat to him and lil’ broski.

As if sensing his stare, Sans flicks his eyelights over to Fresh. The other skeleton blinks before giving him a cryptic smile, the skull button on his vest flashing to an expression of laughter. 

Fresh’s grin sharpens at the edges as he faces forward, his board nudging the starting line. His shades flash to HO HO.

**_it’s time ta party._ **

“WELCOME TO MY GAME, DEAR RIVALS!” Papyrus’ voice booms, drawing everyone’s attention. You glance over to see him in a-...Is that a blue  _ sports car? _ It looks newly waxed and well-taken care of, which is something you can see Papyrus doing. He seems like the type to care for anything that falls into his hands, if his concern over you after meeting is anything to go by. Further cementing your idea is the fact that you don’t see his spear anywhere, relief washing over you. It must be tucked away somewhere.

(The fact that his vehicle is the first thing you notice and not the sunlight or the birds chirping overhead says more than it should.) 

“WE SHALL SETTLE THE SCORE OF OUR ENCOUNTER WITH MY GAME! IF YOU CAN BEAT SANS AND I IN THIS RACE, THEN WE WILL LEAD YOU TOWARDS SNOWDIN WITH NO FURTHER ISSUES. IF YOU ARE BESTED BY OUR MIGHT, THEN WE WILL CAPTURE THE HUMAN AND REPORT TO ASGORE. NYEHEHEH, THEN I CAN GET INTO THE ROYAL GUARD! THERE ARE THREE LAPS, SO WORK TOGETHER AND TRY TO OVERCOME US!”

“you’re not supposed to give them advice, Papyrus,” Sans chimes from his brother’s side, mounting his bike. He revvs the engine, the spark in his eyelights indicating that he’s familiar with the vehicle. “we’re supposed to beat them.”

“THEY ARE OUR RIVALS AND WE WILL SHOW THEM RESPECT, SANS.” Papyrus chides, checking his rearview mirrors. You note your own are already set, and once Fresh tilts his head your way in question you give him a thumbs up. “AND BESIDES, HOW YOU AREN’T TIRED OF MY GAME I’LL NEVER UNDERSTAND. THIS IS WHY YOU WERE FINE WITH BEING PULLED INTO AN ENCOUNTER, ISN’T IT?”

Sans shrugs. “guilty as charged,” he says, not sounding apologetic at all. “though in my defense your GAME is fun to play. ah, i think it’s time to start; i hope you’re ready.”

You turn back to your own small car, gripping the wheel. You can’t afford to get caught; Toriel’s frantic cries come back to you, and you remember your promise to not fall for anything the king has planned. If he catches you, then you’re as good as doomed.

_ *But you are resolute in avoiding capture, and are sure of yours and Fresh’s abilities. _

Your grip on the steering wheel tightens, and you narrow your eyes as they set forward.

_ *You are filled with INTEGRITY. _

A small turtle floating in a cloud comes into your line of vision, counting down from three. Once they hit zero a horn blares, and poppers go off from all around. Four vehicles take off from the checkered line.

_ *The Annual Drop Dead Snowdrift Race - START! _

* * *

**PARTY STATS**

NAME: Frisk (The Human Child)

LV: 1

HP: 20/20

ATK: 5

DF: 20

_ *Feels a bit better about their chances after officially meeting Papyrus. Concerned about what they don’t remember, and wants to get out of the cold. Dedicated to upholding their promises, and is filled with INTEGRITY. _

NAME: Fresh (The  ~~ Paras ~~ Party Skeleton)

LV:  **ERROR_01134:** FILE LOST. SEARCHING...

HP: 5/5

ATK:  **ERROR_3434:** FILE LOST. SEARCHING...

DF: 100

_ *Soft on Papyrus, but not his brother. Has a feeling he’ll like Papyrus’ GAME, and will watch over to see how you do. The skateboard brings back memories. Just your funky Party Skeleton. _

NAME: Sans (The Skeleton Sentry)

LV: 1

HP: 1/1

ATK: UNKNOWN

DF: UNKNOWN

_ *Conflicted about seeing Papyrus, but excited to get started with his favorite GAME. Wonders what you remember. Just your normal Skeleton Sentry. _

**NEW!**

NAME: Papyrus (The Skeleton Sentry)

LV: 1

HP: 680/680

ATK: 20

DF: 20

_ *Finally! A human! He’s excited to see one in person! But...he doesn’t want Frisk to be badly hurt, they’re so small and wary of everything...and he must protect the weak! The Great and Heroic Skeleton Sentry. _

**FRISK’S INVENTORY:** ****

_*Pair of sneakers_ _x1_

(A pair of completely ordinary shoes. Just  _ run _ with it for now.)

_ *Water Bottle x2 _

(A refreshing drink that helps you think! Now comes with double the life!)

_ *Chalk x1  _

(What’s this, Minotaur’s Labyrinth? Just what do you expect to do with this?)

_ *Superhero Comic x1 _

(Never leave home without it. Never forget.)

_ *Shiny Rocks x5 _

(Look! All your treasure-hunting dreams have come true!)

_ *Box of Band-Aids x18 (originally x20, 2 used) _

(Even if they can’t heal internal bleeding or emotional wounds, they’ll patch up any external ones! Restores 10 HP each.)

_ *Homemade Brownie x1 _

(A slice of warm, gooey chocolate that carries all the feelings of love and compassion. Restores to max HP.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get into Papyrus' GAME! Now it's time for the questions!
> 
> *The race begins! What are you most focused on?  
> a) Acceleration  
> b) Grabbing items  
> c) Speed  
> d) Drifting
> 
> *You spy a secret route. Do you take it?  
> a) Yes  
> b) No
> 
> *Someone from the enemy team crashes. What do you do?  
> a) Give an apologetic smile but continue, you can't stop  
> b) Offer them a lift, they need a ride  
> c) Continue past them, accepting the win  
> d) Stop your car and help orient their vehicle, losing your place
> 
> *Fresh has an idea and is offering his hand. Do you take it?  
> a) Yes  
> b) No
> 
> *Do you wish to RESET?  
> a) Yes  
> b) No
> 
> Thank you all for your comments and patience! If you have more questions about this AU, want to see the designs, or just want to scream Undertale, my tumblr is https://wheresleepingboneslie.tumblr.com/ !


End file.
